Imaging modes

Imaging modes

The primary modes of operation for an AFM are static modeTOP243Y and dynamic mode. In static mode, the cantilever is dragged across the surface of the sample and the contours of the surfacePT7314 are measured directly using the deflection of the cantilever. In the dynamic mode, the cantilever is externally oscillated at or close to its fundamentalSTK4038X resonance frequency or a harmonic. The oscillation amplitude, phase and resonance frequency are modified by tip-sample interaction forces. These changes in oscillationMC145406DW with respect to the external reference oscillation provide information about the sample's characteristics.Amplitude modulation can be operated either in the non-contact or in the intermittentAN6712 contact regime. In dynamic contact mode, the cantilever is oscillated such that the separation distance between the cantilever tip and the sample surface is modulated.