Evaluation and fabrication of AFM array for ESA-Midas /Rosetta space mission

The MIDAS (Micro-Imaging Dust Analysis System) experiment is dedicated to the micro-textural and statistical analysis of cometary dust particles. The instrument is based on the technique of atomic force microscopy. The comparative simplicity and robustness of the technique lends itself to advanced space applications. The instrument is considered as essential for this mission since, for the first time, it has the capability of three-dimensional imaging of interplanetary and pristine cometary particles in the manometer to micrometer range. In this paper we describe our effort to evaluate and fabricate the AFM arrays for the ESA-Midas/Rosetta space mission. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.