Effect of tip size on force measurement in atomic force microscopy.
An atomic force microscope (AFM) has been used to study solvation forces at the solid-liquid interface between highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and the liquids octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS), n-hexadecane (n-C16H34), and n-dodecanol (n-C11H23CH2OH). Oscillatory solvation forces (F) are observed for various measured tip radii (Rtip=15-100 nm). It is found that the normalized force data, F/Rtip, differ between AFM tips with a clear trend of decreasing F/Rtip with increasing Rtip.
Lim
Leonard T W
LT
Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119620.
Wee
Andrew T S
AT
O'Shea
Sean J
SJ