Atomic force microscopy elasticity determination

Mather, A.B., Collinworth, A.M., Reichert, W.M., Kraus, W.E., Truskey, G.A. Endothehal, cardiac muscle and skeletal muscle exhibit different viscous and elastic properties as determined by atomic force microscopy. J. Biomech. 34, 1545-1553 (2001)... 

Scanning tunneling microscopy Light-scattering Ion beam analysis (forward recoil spectrometry) Chaudhury-Whitesides apparatus Atomic resolution, relatively inexpensive Determines interior surface areas Surface composition and diffusion coefficients can be determined Measures adhesion forces nondestructively Resolution limited with insulating materials Secondary scattering must be eliminated Length scale resolution 150 A at best Polymer must be in the rubber-elastic state... 

Figure 1. Principle of Atomic Force Acoustic Microscopy. Using the shift of the contact resonance frequencies relative to the free resonances, one can determine the local elastic constants of a material. The adhesion forces contribute to the measured vertical contact stiffness as well. Their influence can be neglected, provided the static forces are adjusted so that they are much larger than the adhesion forces.

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