Transient-signal-based sample-detection in atomic force microscopy

Abstract

In typical dynamic mode operation of atomic force microscopes, steady state signals like amplitude and phase are used for detection and imaging of material. In these methods, the resolution and bandwidth are dictated by the quality factor (Q) of the cantilever. In this letter, we present a methodology that exploits the deflection signal during the transient of the cantilever motion. The principle overcomes the fundamental limitations on the trade off between resolution and bandwidth present in existing methods and makes it independent of the quality factor. Experimental results provided corroborate the theoretical development.