Abstract
Judiciously matched experiments, calculations, and theory demonstrate that a higher sensitivity to short-range interactions and, consequently, improved resolution on the atomic scale can be achieved by bimodal noncontact dynamic force microscopy. The combination of sub-Ångström tip oscillation at the second flexural resonance of a commercially available silicon cantilever with the commonly used large amplitude oscillation at the fundamental resonance frequency enables this performance improvement while avoiding potentially damaging jump-to-contact instabilities.
- Received 10 December 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.220801
©2009 American Physical Society