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Title: Contact resonance atomic force microscopy imaging in air and water using photothermal excitation

Abstract

Contact Resonance Force Microscopy (CR-FM) is a leading atomic force microscopy technique for measuring viscoelastic nano-mechanical properties. Conventional piezo-excited CR-FM measurements have been limited to imaging in air, since the “forest of peaks” frequency response associated with acoustic excitation methods effectively masks the true cantilever resonance. Using photothermal excitation results in clean contact, resonance spectra that closely match the ideal frequency response of the cantilever, allowing unambiguous and simple resonance frequency and quality factor measurements in air and liquids alike. This extends the capabilities of CR-FM to biologically relevant and other soft samples in liquid environments. We demonstrate CR-FM in air and water on both stiff silicon/titanium samples and softer polystyrene-polyethylene-polypropylene polymer samples with the quantitative moduli having very good agreement between expected and measured values.

Authors:
; ; ;  [1]
  1. Asylum Research, an Oxford Instruments Company, Santa Barbara, California 93117 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22482744
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Review of Scientific Instruments
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 86; Journal Issue: 8; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0034-6748
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; AIR; ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY; EXCITATION; LIQUIDS; MECHANICAL PROPERTIES; POLYETHYLENES; POLYPROPYLENE; POLYSTYRENE; QUALITY FACTOR; RESONANCE; SILICON; TITANIUM; WATER

Citation Formats

Kocun, Marta, Labuda, Aleksander, Gannepalli, Anil, and Proksch, Roger. Contact resonance atomic force microscopy imaging in air and water using photothermal excitation. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4928105.
Kocun, Marta, Labuda, Aleksander, Gannepalli, Anil, & Proksch, Roger. Contact resonance atomic force microscopy imaging in air and water using photothermal excitation. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4928105
Kocun, Marta, Labuda, Aleksander, Gannepalli, Anil, and Proksch, Roger. 2015. "Contact resonance atomic force microscopy imaging in air and water using photothermal excitation". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4928105.
@article{osti_22482744,
title = {Contact resonance atomic force microscopy imaging in air and water using photothermal excitation},
author = {Kocun, Marta and Labuda, Aleksander and Gannepalli, Anil and Proksch, Roger},
abstractNote = {Contact Resonance Force Microscopy (CR-FM) is a leading atomic force microscopy technique for measuring viscoelastic nano-mechanical properties. Conventional piezo-excited CR-FM measurements have been limited to imaging in air, since the “forest of peaks” frequency response associated with acoustic excitation methods effectively masks the true cantilever resonance. Using photothermal excitation results in clean contact, resonance spectra that closely match the ideal frequency response of the cantilever, allowing unambiguous and simple resonance frequency and quality factor measurements in air and liquids alike. This extends the capabilities of CR-FM to biologically relevant and other soft samples in liquid environments. We demonstrate CR-FM in air and water on both stiff silicon/titanium samples and softer polystyrene-polyethylene-polypropylene polymer samples with the quantitative moduli having very good agreement between expected and measured values.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4928105},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22482744}, journal = {Review of Scientific Instruments},
issn = {0034-6748},
number = 8,
volume = 86,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Sat Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}