Quantitative analysis of lateral force microscopy experiments

The analysis of lateral force microscopy experiments is discussed with emphasis on calibration issues and the statistical treatment of the original data in order to obtain reliable quantitative results. This includes an extensive discussion about the statistical and systematical errors which have to be considered if experimental results obtained under different experimental conditions (such as different cantilevers, samples, humidities, with or without lubricant, etc.) have to be compared. The proposed data analysis procedure is exemplified using data acquired on germanium sulfide and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.