Patent ID: 8429954

Claim:
A scanning probe microscope apparatus comprising: a probe tip coupled to a first plate moveable in an x-axis direction, a y-axis direction and a z-axis direction; a second plate coupled to the first plate by at least one flexure; a first actuator configured to move the first plate and the probe tip in the y-axis direction wherein the first actuator includes a comb drive actuator coupled to the second plate; a second actuator configured to move the first plate and the probe tip in a z-axis direction; and a third actuator configured to move the probe tip in the x-axis direction, the first, second and third actuators cooperating to move the probe tip with three degrees of freedom of movement, wherein the third actuator includes a comb drive having a first set of fingers coupled to a third plate, the first set of fingers coupled to the third plate cooperating with a second set of fingers coupled to the first plate to move the first plate and the probe tip in the x-axis direction.