Quantitative atom-resolved force gradient imaging using non contact-AFM/STM
Date
2001Source Title
Applied Physics Letters
Print ISSN
0003-6951
Publisher
American Institute of Physics
Volume
79
Issue
12
Pages
1915 - 1917
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
Quantitative force gradient images are obtained using a sub-angstrom amplitude, off-resonance lever oscillation method during scanning tunneling microscopy imaging. We report the direct observation of short-range bonds, and the measured short-range force interaction agrees well in magnitude and length scale with theoretical predictions for single bonds. Atomic resolution is shown to be associated with the presence of a prominent short-range contribution to the total force interaction. It is shown that the background longer-range interaction, whose relative magnitude depends on the tip structure, has a significant effect on the contrast observed at the atomic scale. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.