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Probing linear and non‐linear tip–sample interaction forces by atomic force acoustic microscopy
Author(s) -
Rabe U.,
Kester E.,
Arnold W.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9918(199905/06)27:5/6<386::aid-sia526>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - cantilever , non contact atomic force microscopy , amplitude , excitation , atomic force acoustic microscopy , vibration , resonance (particle physics) , stiffness , hysteresis , excited state , chemistry , atomic physics , acoustics , materials science , optics , magnetic force microscope , physics , kelvin probe force microscope , microscopy , condensed matter physics , composite material , magnetic field , quantum mechanics , magnetization
The cantilever–sample system of an atomic force acousticmicroscope is excited in the frequency range from 10 kHz to 3 MHz. Byanalysing the cantilever vibration in the frequency domain, oneobtains information about the stiffness and the damping of the wholemechanical system, consisting of the flexural beam clamped at one endand the sensor tip at the other end in force interaction with thesample surface. Variation of the cantilever–sample distance orof the excitation amplitude changes the range of the tip–sampledistance covered during the vibration cycles and consequently thesection of the non‐linear force interaction curve that isprobed. Starting from high static loads and small excitationamplitudes, the contact resonance frequencies shift to lower valueswhen the excitation amplitude is increased or when the staticcantilever force is decreased. A further increase of the excitationamplitude leads to asymmetric resonance peaks, showing hysteresiswhen the direction of the frequency scan is changed. We presentexperimental spectra in the linear and non‐linear regime andcompare them to theoretical results. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley& Sons, Ltd.