Sample atomic force

The most popular of the scanning probe tecimiques are STM and atomic force microscopy (AFM). STM and AFM provide images of the outemiost layer of a surface with atomic resolution. STM measures the spatial distribution of the surface electronic density by monitoring the tiumelling of electrons either from the sample to the tip or from the tip to the sample. This provides a map of the density of filled or empty electronic states, respectively. The variations in surface electron density are generally correlated with the atomic positions. 

Miyatani T, Florii M, Rosa A, Fu]ihira M and Marti O 1997 Mapping of electric double-layer force between tip and sample surfaces in water with pulsed-force-mode atomic force microscopy Appl. Phys. Lett. 71 2632... 

Ifnited atom force fields (see Ifnited versiisAll Atom Forcehiclds" on page 28 ) arc sometimes used for bioraoleciiles to decrease the number of nonbonded in teraction s and the computation time. Another reason for using a simplified poten tial is to reduce the dimensionality of the potential energy surface. This, in turn, allows for more samples of the surface. 

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been used to characterize dendrimers that have been adsorbed onto a surface such as silica. AFM involves moving a finely tipped stylus across a surface and monitoring the tip movements as it traces the surface topography. In studying adsorbed dendrimers, samples can be scanned repeatedly and in a variety of directions. When this is done, it is found that all the images are the same. True dendrimers form objects of only one size. 

A most recent commercial Nano Indenter (Nano Indenter XP (MTS, 2001)) consists of three major components [66] the indenter head, an optical/atomic force microscope, and x-y-z motorized precision table for positioning and transporting the sample between the optical microscopy and indenter (Fig. 28). The load on the indenter is generated using a voice coil in permanent magnet assembly, attached to the top of the indenter column. The displacement of the indenter is measured using a three plate capacitive displacement sensor. At the bottom of the indenter rod, a three-sided... 

Radmacher, M., Tillman, R. W., Fritz, M., and Gaub, H. E., From Molecules to Cells Imaging Soft Samples with the Atomic Force Microscope," Science, Vol. 257, 1992, pp. 1900-1905. 

Ebenstein, Y., Nahum, E., and Banin, U., Tapping mode atomic force microscopy for nanoparticle sizing Tip-sample interaction effects, Nano Lett., 2, 945, 2002. 

FIGURE 21.20 Tapping-mode atomic force microscopic (AFM) height image left) and phase image right) of NRIO sample. The stmctures indicated hy circles are considered to he carhon hlack (CB) fillers. 

FIG. 8 Schematic of an atomic force microscope with optical beam deflection detection showing a typical angle of 10° between lever and sample. 

Atomic force microscope (AFM) is a powerful nanotechnology tool for molecular imaging and manipulations. One major factor limiting resolution in AFM to observe individual biomolecules such as DNA is the low sharpness of the AFM tip that scans the sample. Nanoscale 1,3,5,7-tetrasubstituted adamantane is found to serve as the molecular tip for AFM and may also find application in chemically well-defined objects for calibration of commercial AFM tips [113]. 

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) or, as it is also called, scanning force microscopy (SFM) is based on the minute but detectable forces - of the order of nano Newtons -between a sharp tip and atoms on the surface. The tip is mounted on a flexible arm, called a cantilever, and is positioned at a subnanometre distance from the surface. If the sample is scanned under the tip in the x-y plane, it feels the attractive or repulsive force from the surface atoms and hence it is deflected in the z-direction. The deflection can be measured with a laser and photo detectors as indicated schematically in Fig. 4.29. Atomic force microscopy can be applied in two ways. 

Figure 4.29. Experimental set-up for atomic force microscopy. The sample is mounted on a piezo electric scanner and can be positioned with a precision better than 0.01 nm in thex, y, and z directions. The tip is mounted on a flexible arm, the cantilever. When the tip is attracted or repelled by the sample, the deflection of the cantilever/tip assembly is...

The combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Raman spectroscopy is another approach to attain high spatial resolution. AFM also employs a sharp tip close to a sample surface. When the tip is made of metal and light is irradiated onto the tip and surface, Raman scattering is largely enhanced. In this way, a spatial resolution of 15 nm is achieved [2]. 

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