Dual-heterodyne Kelvin probe force microscopy

• Benjamin Grévin,
• Fatima Husainy,
• Dmitry Aldakov and
• Cyril Aumaître

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1068–1084, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.88

• ; intermodulation; KPFM; nc-AFM; surface photovoltage; time-resolved measurements; Introduction Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is a well-known variant of AFM that allows probing at the nanoscale the electrostatic landscape on the surface of a sample by measuring the so-called contact potential difference

• implemented on a non-contact AFM operating under ultra-high vacuum, where the high resonance quality factors should now become an advantage and provide greater sensitivity. In the next section, we will provide some details on the technical implementation of DHe-KPFM on an nc-AFM. We will then demonstrate its

• kHz (demodulation at the second eigenmode) for its heterodyne counterpart. Dual-Heterodyne Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy: Implementation Non-contact AFM (nc-AFM) and KPFM experiments are performed with a VT-beam AFM system (Scienta-Omicron) at room temperature (RT) under ultra-high vacuum (UHV

Studies of probe tip materials by atomic force microscopy: a review

• Ke Xu and
• Yuzhe Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1256–1267, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.104

• a homemade cantilevered non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) system. As the first step of tip sharpening, the focus is on the controlled extraction of individual clusters. The experimental results show that controlled extraction of individual clusters induces a change in tip sharpness, which

• Figure 1a and Figure 1b, the F(z) curve and the high-resolution NC-AFM image were used as criteria to test the conditions of the constructed nano-tip. It can be seen from the Figure 1 that the tip remains intact, and the atomic and molar periodicity in the images is resolved with high quality. This work

• curve is obtained with the same tip after exchanging the sample with a G/Pt(111) surface. Acquisition parameters: fo = 168274 Hz; k = 33.3 N/m; red curve: VCPD = −0.1 V; A = 13.5 nm. Blue curve: VCPD = −0.45 V; A = 16 nm. Black curve: VCPD = +0.2 V; A = 19.2 nm. (b) Atomically resolved NC-AFM image of

Direct measurement of surface photovoltage by AC bias Kelvin probe force microscopy

• Masato Miyazaki,
• Yasuhiro Sugawara and
• Yan Jun Li

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 712–720, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.63

• time [31]. To reach sufficient sensitivity, the value should typically be larger than 1 V. Experimental The experiments were performed by customized ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM, UNISOKU) at a temperature T of 78 K with a base pressure below 5 × 10−11 Torr. The NC

• -AFM was operated in the FM mode [32] with a constant oscillation amplitude A of 500 pm. The cantilever deflection was measured by an optical beam deflection (OBD) method [33]. AC-KPFM was carried out in the FM mode, in which the topography and SPV were measured simultaneously. An AC bias VAC with

Quantitative dynamic force microscopy with inclined tip oscillation

• Philipp Rahe,
• Daniel Heile,
• Reinhard Olbrich and
• Michael Reichling

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 610–619, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.53

• as the static sensor displacement is governed by the a priori unknown force curve. Furthermore, qs is usually so small that it is at or beyond the limit of detectability for most NC-AFM implementations. In dynamic NC-AFM operation, the sensor oscillates with an amplitude A symmetrical to the static

Local stiffness and work function variations of hexagonal boron nitride on Cu(111)

• Abhishek Grewal,
• Yuqi Wang,
• Matthias Münks,
• Klaus Kern and
• Markus Ternes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 559–565, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.46

• non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) to study h-BN on Cu(111). This template has interesting properties because the dielectric layer is only very weakly bound to the metal and shows an electronically induced Moiré superstructure [25][26]. First STM studies on this system pointed to only a

• buckling perpendicular to the surface. Interestingly, this is in contrast to measurements by Schwarz et al. who used a more local analysis of the corrugation by exploiting nc-AFM concluding an absolute height difference of 0.3–0.7 Å between “rim” and “valley” sites of the spatially corrugated monolayer [26

• ]. Results and Discussion STM/AFM on h-BN/Cu(111) As illustrated in Figure 1a, we employ nc-AFM to probe the electronic and topographic structure of a monolayer of h-BN on a Cu(111) surface. Figure 1b shows a typical large-scale constant-current STM scan of this structure. We observe the monolayer growing

Influence of electrospray deposition on C₆₀ molecular assemblies

• Antoine Hinaut,
• Sebastian Scherb,
• Sara Freund,
• Zhao Liu,
• Thilo Glatzel and
• Ernst Meyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 552–558, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.45

• method can yield single isolated molecules accompanied by surface modifications. Keywords: alkali halide; Au(111); bulk insulator; C60; electrospray; electrospray deposition; fullerene; high-vacuum electrospray deposition (HV-ESD); molecular assembly; nc-AFM; NiO; single molecule; thermal evaporation

• microscope (nc-AFM) working at room temperature to study formation and shape of C60 islands on three substrates with different intrinsic properties. These are, first, Au(111), a metal surface widely used in SPM studies, second, KBr(001), a bulk insulator allowing for the decoupling of molecular species and

• used as model surface in nc-AFM measurements [31][32][33][34], and, finally, NiO(001), a p-type wide-bandgap metal oxide with potential applications in photovoltaics [35][36][37]. For all cases, we show the typical C60 structures formed by TE and compare these with the results from HV-ESD. This allows

Reconstruction of a 2D layer of KBr on Ir(111) and electromechanical alteration by graphene

• Zhao Liu,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Stefan Peeters,
• Sebastian Scherb,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Maria Clelia Righi and
• Thilo Glatzel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 432–439, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.35

• reduced by the decoupling effect of graphene, thus yielding different electrical and mechanical properties of the top KBr layer. Keywords: DFT; graphene; Ir(111); KBr; KPFM; nc-AFM; surface reconstruction; Introduction Many two-dimensional (2D) materials have excellent optical, mechanical

• with unconventional stoichiometries have been observed indirectly on graphene surfaces [37]. Here, we report on the formation of irregularly shaped KBr islands with corrugated stripe structures, observed on the (111) surface of Ir and analyzed by non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) at room

• the iridium terraces. Figure 1a shows a large-scale topography image of a KBr island on Ir(111) measured by nc-AFM at room temperature. The monoatomic steps between the Ir terraces have a height of 235 pm as expected for Ir(111). The KBr islands are monolayers with an average height of 340 pm under

Direct observation of the Si(110)-(16×2) surface reconstruction by atomic force microscopy

• Tatsuya Yamamoto,
• Ryo Izumi,
• Kazushi Miki,
• Takahiro Yamasaki,
• Yasuhiro Sugawara and
• Yan Jun Li

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1750–1756, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.157

• , Himeji, Hyogo 671-2280, Japan Institute for Nanoscience Design, Osaka University, 1-2 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan 10.3762/bjnano.11.157 Abstract The atomic arrangement of the Si(110)-(16×2) reconstruction was directly observed using noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) at 78 K

• between upper and lower terraces, which have not been reported using STM. These findings are key evidence for establishing an atomic model of the Si(110)-(16×2) reconstruction, which indeed has a complex structure. Keywords: atomic force microscopy (AFM); noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM); Si

• were performed using noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions, where the frequency modulation AFM (FM-AFM) method was used. The pressure was maintained below 3 × 10−11 Torr and the temperature was held at 78 K. As a probe, a commercially available Si

Protruding hydrogen atoms as markers for the molecular orientation of a metallocene

• Linda Laflör,
• Michael Reichling and
• Philipp Rahe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1432–1438, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.127

• acid (FDCA) molecules on bulk and thin film CaF2(111) surfaces with non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM). We use NC-AFM image calculations with the probe particle model to interpret this distinct shape by repulsive interactions between the NC-AFM tip and the top hydrogen atoms of the

• cyclopentadienyl (Cp) rings. Simulated NC-AFM images show an excellent agreement with experimental constant-height NC-AFM data of FDCA molecules at several tip–sample distances. By measuring this distinct dumbbell shape together with the molecular orientation, a strategy is proposed to determine the conformation

• employed for the investigation of both ordered and unordered molecular systems as well as of individual and isolated species [4][5][6]. For example, two different non-planar isomers of dibenzo[a,h]thianthrene molecules could be identified by high-resolution non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) [7

Atomic defect classification of the H–Si(100) surface through multi-mode scanning probe microscopy

• Jeremiah Croshaw,
• Thomas Dienel,
• Taleana Huff and
• Robert Wolkow

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1346–1360, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.119

• Nanotechnology Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2M9, Canada 10.3762/bjnano.11.119 Abstract The combination of scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) allows enhanced extraction and correlation of properties not readily

• same side of two neighbouring dimers. Subsequently, the latter had been reassigned as an H, OH pair originating from dissociative attachment of a residual water molecule in the vacuum system [15][16][17]. Further insights became available by non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM), separating the

• of the H-terminated Si(100)-2 × 1 surface, its structural features, and defects. Six different scanning probe imaging modes are performed using both STM and nc-AFM. By combining the accessible information with probe particle simulations [23][24] (presented in Supporting Information File 1) of the

Measurement of electrostatic tip–sample interactions by time-domain Kelvin probe force microscopy

• Christian Ritz,
• Tino Wagner and
• Andreas Stemmer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 911–921, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.76

• Kalman filter; Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM); time domain; Introduction Electrostatic forces are important interactions in non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM). They arise from differences in the work function of the tip and the sample, from trapped charges, or from potentials applied to

Atomic-resolution imaging of rutile TiO₂(110)-(1 × 2) reconstructed surface by non-contact atomic force microscopy

• Daiki Katsube,
• Shoki Ojima,
• Eiichi Inami and
• Masayuki Abe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 443–449, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.35

• characterize the surface. Ti2O3 rows appeared as bright spots in both NC-AFM and STM images observed in the same area. High-resolution NC-AFM images revealed that the rutile TiO2(110)-(1 × 2) reconstructed surface is composed of two domains with different types of asymmetric rows. Keywords: non-contact atomic

• clean surface is relatively easy. A well-known rutile TiO2(110) surface is the (1 × 1) structure [2]. The (1 × 1) surface has been studied using low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) [3][4], surface X-ray diffraction [5], non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) [6][7][8][9], scanning tunneling

• using LEED and STM has revealed that the (1 × 2) LEED pattern was observed even if the (1 × 2) structure is formed only partially as shown in Figure 1c [20]. This indicates that real-space imaging with atomic resolution, i.e., STM and NC-AFM, would be helpful for a careful determination of the surface

Implementation of data-cube pump–probe KPFM on organic solar cells

• Benjamin Grévin,
• Olivier Bardagot and
• Renaud Demadrille

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 323–337, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.24

• the chosen approach for pp-KPFM are finally discussed. pp-KPFM Implementation The experiments were performed on the basis of noncontact AFM (nc-AFM) under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) with a beam deflection setup operated in frequency-modulation (FM) mode at room temperature. In the following, we only

• reported for samples processed under similar conditions [37][38]. The nc-AFM topographic images (Figure 7a) display a rather uniform contrast indicating that the donor and acceptor species have been finely mixed. However, specific contrasts in the KPFM potential images recorded in the dark (Figure 7b

• -based devices, hybrid perovskite thin films and single crystals as well as type-II van der Waals heterojunctions based on transition metal dichalcogenides. Experimental Nc-AFM and pp-KPFM Noncontact-AFM (nc-AFM) experiments were performed with a ScientaOmicron VT-AFM setup in UHV at room temperature (RT

Imaging the surface potential at the steps on the rutile TiO₂(110) surface by Kelvin probe force microscopy

• Masato Miyazaki,
• Huan Fei Wen,
• Quanzhen Zhang,
• Yuuki Adachi,
• Jan Brndiar,
• Ivan Štich,
• Yan Jun Li and
• Yasuhiro Sugawara

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1228–1236, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.122

• out with a custom-built ultrahigh-vacuum noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) system operated at a temperature of 78 K with a base pressure below 4 × 10−11 mbar. The NC-AFM system was operated in the frequency-modulation mode [44] with a constant cantilever oscillation amplitude (5 Å). The

Comparing a porphyrin- and a coumarin-based dye adsorbed on NiO(001)

• Sara Freund,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Nathalie Marinakis,
• Edwin C. Constable,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Catherine E. Housecroft and
• Thilo Glatzel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 874–881, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.88

• (nc-AFM) is used at room temperature (RT) to compare the properties of the two dyes deposited on a NiO(001) single-crystal surface. Under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions, the adsorption modes of both molecules on the surface of NiO(001) are studied and their charge state upon adsorption are

• surfaces, mandatory for reliable SPM studies, are difficult to prepare because of the hardness of the material and its high reactivity [12][13][14][15][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. Figure 2a shows a topographic image measured by nc-AFM of the bare NiO(001) surface that was prepared by in situ

• be determined from the close-up high-resolution nc-AFM topographic image shown in Figure 4b. In this image it can be seen (in green) that the mesh motive is composed of two different pairs of dyes, implying that a unit cell is composed of four molecules. The first pair of molecules has the molecular

Recent highlights in nanoscale and mesoscale friction

• Andrea Vanossi,
• Dirk Dietzel,
• Andre Schirmeisen,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Rémy Pawlak,
• Thilo Glatzel,
• Marcin Kisiel,
• Shigeki Kawai and
• Nicola Manini

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1995–2014, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.190

• force component originating from the interface between nanostructure and substrate [43]. Only for very small structures, dynamic NC-AFM techniques are required in which the interfacial friction can be quantified based on the frequency shift induced by the resistance of the structure against movement [55

Multimodal noncontact atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy investigations of organolead tribromide perovskite single crystals

• Yann Almadori,
• David Moerman,
• Jaume Llacer Martinez,
• Philippe Leclère and
• Benjamin Grévin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1695–1704, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.161

• du Parc 20, B7000 Mons, Belgium 10.3762/bjnano.9.161 Abstract In this work, methylammonium lead tribromide (MAPbBr3) single crystals are studied by noncontact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). We demonstrate that the surface photovoltage and crystal

• . Keywords: carrier lifetime; ion migration; Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM); noncontact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM); organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites; photostriction; single crystals; surface photovoltage (SPV); time-resolved surface photovoltage; Introduction Organic–inorganic hybrid

• AFM (nc-AFM) combined with KPFM. MAPbBr3 has been selected for these experiments since its absorption band edge [12] falls well below the wavelength of the AFM light source (840 nm for the Omicron VT-AFM setup used here). A specific protocol allowing simultaneous recording of the spectroscopic curves

Combined pulsed laser deposition and non-contact atomic force microscopy system for studies of insulator metal oxide thin films

• Daiki Katsube,
• Hayato Yamashita,
• Satoshi Abo and
• Masayuki Abe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 686–692, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.63

• a combined system of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) for observations of insulator metal oxide surfaces. With this system, the long-period iterations of sputtering and annealing used in conventional methods for preparing a metal oxide film surface are

• not required. The performance of the combined system is demonstrated for the preparation and high-resolution NC-AFM imaging of atomically flat thin films of anatase TiO2(001) and LaAlO3(100). Keywords: atomic resolution; frequency modulation atomic force microscopy; insulator thin film; pulsed laser

• transmission electron microscopy [5][8][9][10][11][12][13]. As atomic resolution methods, scanning probe microscopy including scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] and non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) [19][23][29][31][32][33][34

Anchoring of a dye precursor on NiO(001) studied by non-contact atomic force microscopy

• Sara Freund,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Nathalie Marinakis,
• Edwin C. Constable,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Catherine E. Housecroft and
• Thilo Glatzel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 242–249, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.26

• lie between 3.5 and 4.3 eV [25][26][27][28][29], and given that scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) can only be performed on thin NiO films grown on metals [30][31], non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) in ultra-high vacuum is the technique of choice. Due to its hardness and high reactivity

• ligand to complete the active dye [43][44][45]. We present in this paper, high-resolution structural and electrical measurements obtained by nc-AFM of a typical anchoring ligand (DCPDMbpy), based on a 6,6′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine metal-binding domain with two 4-carboxyphenyl anchoring groups (see Figure

•  2 shows topography images of the bare NiO(001) surface measured by bimodal nc-AFM using both the first normal and torsional resonance frequency of the cantilever. In this mode high stability and resolution can be combined in order to get detailed information at the atomic scale even under room

Calculating free energies of organic molecules on insulating substrates

• Julian Gaberle,
• David Z. Gao and
• Alexander L. Shluger

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 667–674, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.71

• insulating substrates where atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides vital information on film structure and growth modes. Non-contact (NC)-AFM has provided rich information on the adsorption, self-assembly and film structure of various organic molecules on insulators [15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. The current

• status of NC-AFM studies of self-assembled films on insulating surfaces has recently been reviewed in [22]. However, theoretical modelling of the film growth processes still proves challenging. Most experiments are performed at room temperature, where entropic contributions can be significant [23][24

• cryogenic temperatures and frozen molecules to NC-AFM observations at room temperature. In this work we showed that TCB molecules have a favourable step-adsorption enthalpy, which is compensated at room temperature by a nearly equal loss in entropy during step adhesion, resulting in a negligible step

Optimizing qPlus sensor assemblies for simultaneous scanning tunneling and noncontact atomic force microscopy operation based on finite element method analysis

• Omur E. Dagdeviren and
• Udo D. Schwarz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 657–666, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.70

• ; noncontact atomic force microscopy; quartz tuning forks; scanning tunneling microscopy; self-sensing probe; Introduction Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) [1] and non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) [1][2][3] are powerful methods allowing the visualization of the atomic structure of a surface

• , with STM probing the electronic properties of the sample and NC-AFM its chemical nature with picoampere, piconewton, and picometer resolution [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Thereby, STM relies on measuring a tunneling current collected by a conducting tip located in close proximity of the probed surface

• while NC-AFM uses the perturbation that surface forces impose on the vibration of a cantilever to sense the proximity of the surface from a tip located at the end of the cantilever [12][13][14]. It is even possible to conduct simultaneous STM and NC-AFM experiments, which deliver complementary

Noise in NC-AFM measurements with significant tip–sample interaction

• Jannis Lübbe,
• Matthias Temmen,
• Philipp Rahe and
• Michael Reichling

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1885–1904, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.181

• & Astronomy, The University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK 10.3762/bjnano.7.181 Abstract The frequency shift noise in non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) imaging and spectroscopy consists of thermal noise and detection system noise with an additional contribution from

• between the amplitude and tip–sample distance control loops of the NC-AFM system as well as by the characteristics of the phase locked loop (PLL) detector used for frequency demodulation. Here, we measure DΔf(fm) for various NC-AFM parameter settings representing realistic measurement conditions and

• compare experimental data to simulations based on a model of the NC-AFM system that includes the tip–sample interaction. The good agreement between predicted and measured noise spectra confirms that the model covers the relevant noise contributions and interactions. Results yield a general understanding

Noncontact atomic force microscopy III

• Mehmet Z. Baykara and
• Udo D. Schwarz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 946–947, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.86

• of sample surfaces. The method of NC-AFM has evolved significantly since its introduction and it is now possible to employ the technique to visualize the internal structure of individual molecules, controllably manipulate single atoms on surfaces, and measure potential energy landscapes with

• unprecedented resolution. Moreover, NC-AFM is not only limited to operation under ultrahigh vacuum and it can now be utilized to study the detailed structure and even the dynamic activity of biological molecules. To keep up with the rapid progress in this exciting field, since 1998 the NC-AFM community meets

• every year at the annual “International Conference on Non-Contact Atomic Force Microscopy” series, which is typically characterized by lively discussions on the latest technical and scientific developments related to NC-AFM. In parallel with the series of conferences, the last few years have seen the

Modelling of ‘sub-atomic’ contrast resulting from back-bonding on Si(111)-7×7

• Adam Sweetman,
• Samuel P. Jarvis and
• Mohammad A. Rashid

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 937–945, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.85

• Adam Sweetman Samuel P. Jarvis Mohammad A. Rashid The School of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom 10.3762/bjnano.7.85 Abstract It has recently been shown that ‘sub-atomic’ contrast can be observed during NC-AFM imaging of the Si(111)-7×7

• similarity to experimental results, and demonstrate how ‘sub-atomic’ contrast can arise from a flexible tip exploring an asymmetric potential created due to the positioning of the surrounding surface atoms. Keywords: NC-AFM; qPlus; sub-atomic; sub-molecular; Introduction Recent developments in low

• force mapping of atomic and molecular structures using non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM). In particular, suppressing the chemical bonding between tip and sample enables the stable exploration of the repulsive part of the tip–sample force regime, which has allowed outstanding resolution to be

Understanding interferometry for micro-cantilever displacement detection

• Alexander von Schmidsfeld,
• Tobias Nörenberg,
• Matthias Temmen and
• Michael Reichling

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 841–851, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.76

• Alexander von Schmidsfeld Tobias Norenberg Matthias Temmen Michael Reichling Fachbereich Physik, Universität Osnabrück, Barbarastraße 7, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.7.76 Abstract Interferometric displacement detection in a cantilever-based non-contact atomic force microscope (NC-AFM

• displacement noise spectral density strongly decreases with decreasing distance between the fiber-end and the cantilever, yielding a noise floor of 24 fm/Hz0.5 under optimum conditions. Keywords: displacement noise spectral density; interferometer; non-contact atomic force microscope (NC-AFM); opto-mechanic

• measurement makes the interferometer a suitable system for displacement detection in a cantilever based non-contact atomic force microscope (NC-AFM) [7]. In contrast to a classical interferometer, the setup commonly involving a fiber end and a cantilever is characterized by a significant beam divergence and a