Influence of the cantilever holder on the vibrations of AFM cantilevers

Abstract

Dynamic techniques exploiting the vibration of atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilevers are often superior to quasi-static operation, in particular with respect to the signal-to-noise ratio. Tapping mode, magnetic force microscopy or torsional resonance (TR)-mode for example exploit the resonance amplification of bending or torsional modes of the cantilever. In atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM) and related techniques aiming to measure elasticity or adhesion quantitatively on a nanometre scale, the cantilever vibrates while the tip is in contact with a sample surface. The higher vibration modes are included in the evaluation. Well-defined resonance maxima of the cantilever are a prerequisite for all resonance techniques. To allow their handling, microscaled commercial cantilevers are fabricated in one piece with a holder of millimetre dimensions providing the base to which the cantilever beam is suspended. Here, we examine experimentally and theoretically how the cantilever holder influences the vibration of the cantilevers.