  In atomic force microscopy (AFM), the exchange and alignment of the AFM
cantilever with respect to the optical beam and position-sensitive detector
(PSD) are often performed manually. This process is tedious and time-consuming
and sometimes damages the cantilever or tip. To increase the throughput of AFM
in industrial applications, the ability to automatically exchange and align the
cantilever in a very short time with sufficient accuracy is required. In this
paper, we present the development of an automated cantilever exchange and
optical alignment instrument. We present an experimental proof of principle by
exchanging various types of AFM cantilevers in 6 seconds with an accuracy
better than 2 um. The exchange and alignment unit is miniaturized to allow for
integration in a parallel AFM. The reliability of the demonstrator has also
been evaluated. Ten thousand continuous exchange and alignment cycles were
performed without failure. The automated exchange and alignment of the AFM
cantilever overcome a large hurdle toward bringing AFM into high-volume
manufacturing and industrial applications.
