Atomic force microscopy for high-resolution measurements of Young's modulus

Many versions of dynamic atomic force microscopy have been proposed for imaging specimens. All of these methods rely on the relative motion between the atomic force microscope (AFM) tip and the specimen surface. These techniques are used to extract quantitative information about the surface stiffness with high resolution. These techniques utilize the dynamic response of the cantilever, specifically in terms of the higher-order cantilever modes. These techniques rely on tip-sample mechanics models in order to determine material properties. The implications of the different models on the interpretation of AFM images is discussed. In particular, the effect of adhesion on these measurements is discussed.