Tapping mode atomic force microscopy in liquids

• P. K. Hansma

  Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106

• J. P. Cleveland

  Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106

• M. Radmacher

  Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106

• D. A. Walters

  Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106

• P. E. Hillner

  Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106

• M. Bezanilla

  Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106

• M. Fritz

  Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106

• D. Vie

  Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106

• H. G. Hansma

  Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106

• C. B. Prater

  Digital Instruments, 520 E. Montecito Street, Santa Barbara, California 93103

• J. Massie

  Digital Instruments, 520 E. Montecito Street, Santa Barbara, California 93103

• L. Fukunaga

  Digital Instruments, 520 E. Montecito Street, Santa Barbara, California 93103

• J. Gurley

  Digital Instruments, 520 E. Montecito Street, Santa Barbara, California 93103

• V. Elings

  Digital Instruments, 520 E. Montecito Street, Santa Barbara, California 93103

Abstract

Tapping mode atomic force microscopy in liquids gives a substantial improvement in imaging quality and stability over standard contact mode. In tapping mode the probe-sample separation is modulated as the probe scans over the sample. This modulation causes the probe to tap on the surface only at the extreme of each modulation cycle and therefore minimizes frictional forces that are present when the probe is constantly in contact with the surface. This imaging mode increases resolution and reduces sample damage on soft samples. For our initial experiments we used a tapping frequency of 17 kHz to image deoxyribonucleic acid plasmids on mica in water. When we imaged the same sample region with the same cantilever, the plasmids appeared 18 nm wide in contact mode and 5 nm in tapping mode.

Journal

• Applied Physics Letters

  Applied Physics Letters 64 (13), 1738-1740, 1994-03-28

  AIP Publishing

Keywords

• Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

Details

• CRID: 1363670319391028736
• NII Article ID: 80007539710
• DOI: 10.1063/1.111795
• ISSN: 10773118
• ISSN: 00036951
• Web Site: https://pubs.aip.org/aip/apl/article-pdf/64/13/1738/18502032/1738_1_online.pdf
• Data Source:
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles