Analysis of the contrast mechanism in bimodal atomic force microscopy combining amplitude modulation and band excitation

作者：Solares Santiago D^*

来源：Journal of Applied Physics, 2012, 111(5): 054909.

DOI：10.1063/1.3692393

A new bimodal method of scanning probe microscopy was recently introduced in which one cantilever eigenmode is driven using the conventional tapping mode (amplitude modulation) technique while another one is driven using a broadband excitation signal, such that its transfer function can be measured throughout the full spectrum and used to infer material properties from changes in the resonance frequency and quality factor as the surface is scanned. This paper explores computationally the fundamental mechanisms underlying the observed contrast as well as the most relevant aspects of the cantilever dynamics. The objective is to place the new multifrequency method in the context of previous work in the field, describing in detail the type of information it provides, as well as the conditions that lead to meaningful measurements or measurements affected by artifacts.

• 出版日期2012-3-1