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AFM, Tapping Mode

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Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology

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Definition

The tapping or AM-mode is the most common dynamic mode used in atomic force microscopy. In dynamic mode AFM the cantilever is oscillated with (or near) its resonance frequency near the sample surface. Using a feedback electronic the cantilever sample distance is controlled by keeping either the amplitude or the phase of the oscillating cantilever constant. Since lateral tip–sample forces are avoided by this technique the resolution is typically higher compared to the classical contact mode AFM where tip and sample are in direct mechanical contact.

Overview

Since its introduction in 1986 [1], the atomic force microscope became a standard tool in nanotechnology. In early experimental setups, a sharp tip located at or near the end of a microstructured cantilever profiled the sample surface in direct mechanical contact (contact mode) to measure the force acting between tip and sample. Maps of constant tip–sample interaction force, which are usually regarded as representing the...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Institut für Mikrostrukturtechnik, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Hendrik Hölscher

Authors
  1. Hendrik Hölscher
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hendrik Hölscher .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nanoprobe Laboratory for Bio- and Nanotechnology and Biomimetics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Bharat Bhushan

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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Hölscher, H. (2016). AFM, Tapping Mode. In: Bhushan, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9780-1_33

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