Material Anisotropy Revealed by Phase Contrast in Intermittent Contact Atomic Force Microscopy

Matthew S. Marcus; Robert W. Carpick; Darryl Y. Sasaki; M. A. Eriksson

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.226103

Material Anisotropy Revealed by Phase Contrast in Intermittent Contact Atomic Force Microscopy

Matthew S. Marcus, Robert W. Carpick, Darryl Y. Sasaki, and M. A. Eriksson

Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 226103 – Published 17 May 2002

Abstract

Phase contrast in intermittent-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals in-plane structural and mechanical properties of polymer monolayers. This is surprising, because measurements of nanoscale in-plane properties typically require contact mode microscopies. Our measurements are possible because the tip oscillates not just perpendicular but also parallel to the sample surface along the long axis of the cantilever. This lateral tip displacement is virtually universal in AFM, implying that any oscillating-tip AFM technique is sensitive to in-plane material properties.

Received 17 August 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.88.226103

Authors & Affiliations

Matthew S. Marcus¹, Robert W. Carpick², Darryl Y. Sasaki³, and M. A. Eriksson¹

¹Physics Department, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1390
²Department of Engineering Physics, Materials Science Program, and Rheology Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706-1687
³Biomolecular Materials and Interface Science Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185-1413