Dynamic atomic force microscopy operation based on high flexure modes of the cantilever

We show the interest of the high flexure modes of vibration for amplitude-controlled atomic force microscopy (AFM). In connection with AFM working conditions, we define the stabilization time threshold of the oscillating sensor. We show experimentally that, in both air and vacuum, the stabilization time decreases appreciably when the order of the flexure mode of the cantilever increases. Under ambient conditions, this increases the possible scan speeds by about one order of magnitude. Under vacuum and using standard sensors, the amplitude-controlled conditions are satisfied for harmonics equal to or higher than the second. Morphology imaging is then obtained. Thus, high flexure mode AFM easily extends the well known amplitude-controlled operations from ambient to vacuum environment, which allows new AFM applications. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.