We discuss the influence of high-order frequency components in the operation of an amplitude modulation atomic-force microscope (AFM). A comparative study of point-mass and continuous models is performed to describe the tip motion. The tip–surface interaction force excites high-order frequency components whenever a higher harmonic of the excitation force is close to an eigenmode of the cantilever beam. The strength of those components depends on the set point amplitude and the fundamental resonance frequency of the cantilever. However, for standard operating conditions with quality factors in the range, higher-order components are about three orders of magnitude smaller than the component at the excitation frequency. We conclude that point-mass models are suitable to describe the operation of a tapping-mode AFM in air environments.
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4 March 2002
Research Article|
March 04 2002
Tip motion in amplitude modulation (tapping-mode) atomic-force microscopy: Comparison between continuous and point-mass models
Tomás R. Rodrı́guez;
Tomás R. Rodrı́guez
Instituto de Microelectrónica de Madrid, CSIC, Isaac Newton 8, 28760 Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
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Ricardo Garcı́a
Ricardo Garcı́a
Instituto de Microelectrónica de Madrid, CSIC, Isaac Newton 8, 28760 Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain
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Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 1646–1648 (2002)
Article history
Received:
October 09 2001
Accepted:
January 02 2002
Citation
Tomás R. Rodrı́guez, Ricardo Garcı́a; Tip motion in amplitude modulation (tapping-mode) atomic-force microscopy: Comparison between continuous and point-mass models. Appl. Phys. Lett. 4 March 2002; 80 (9): 1646–1648. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1456543
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