Tapping mode atomic force microscopy in liquids

Paul K. Hansma(University of California, Santa Barbara), J. P. Cleveland(University of California, Santa Barbara), Manfred Radmacher(University of California, Santa Barbara), D. A. Walters(University of California, Santa Barbara), P. E. Hillner(University of California, Santa Barbara), Magdalena Bezanilla(University of California, Santa Barbara), M. Fritz(University of California, Santa Barbara), D. Vie(University of California, Santa Barbara), Helen G. Hansma(University of California, Santa Barbara), Craig Prater, J. Massié, L E Fukunaga, John Gurley, Virgil B. Elings
Applied Physics Letters
March 28, 1994
10.1063/1.111795
Cited by 868

Abstract

Tapping mode atomic force microscopy in liquids gives a substantial improvement in imaging quality and stability over standard contact mode. In tapping mode the probe-sample separation is modulated as the probe scans over the sample. This modulation causes the probe to tap on the surface only at the extreme of each modulation cycle and therefore minimizes frictional forces that are present when the probe is constantly in contact with the surface. This imaging mode increases resolution and reduces sample damage on soft samples. For our initial experiments we used a tapping frequency of 17 kHz to image deoxyribonucleic acid plasmids on mica in water. When we imaged the same sample region with the same cantilever, the plasmids appeared 18 nm wide in contact mode and 5 nm in tapping mode.

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