title: Intrinsically high-Q dynamic AFM imaging in liquid with a significantly extended needle tip.
abstract: Atomic force microscope (AFM) probe with a long and rigid needle tip was fabricated and studied for high Q factor dynamic (tapping mode) AFM imaging of samples submersed in liquid. The extended needle tip over a regular commercially available tapping-mode AFM cantilever was sufficiently long to keep the AFM cantilever from submersed in liquid, which significantly minimized the hydrodynamic damping involved in dynamic AFM imaging of samples in liquid. Dynamic AFM imaging of samples in liquid at an intrinsic Q factor of over 100 and an operational frequency of over 200 kHz was demonstrated. The method has the potential to be extended to acquire viscoelastic material properties and provide truly gentle imaging of soft biological samples in physiological environments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1206 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Minary-Jolandan
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tajik
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Min-Feng
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009339:Needles; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry*; D014159:Transducers
chemical_list: D012996:Solutions