Patent ID: 7451638
Filing Date: 2008-11-18
Classification: B82Y,G01Q,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method of operating an atomic force microscope for detecting material properties on the surface of a sample, the method comprising: providing a cantilever having a cantilever arm and a probe tip formed on a free end of the cantilever arm, the cantilever arm having a shape selected to tune the fundamental resonance frequency of the fundamental mode or a resonance frequency of a selected higher order mode so that the resonance frequency of the selected higher order mode and the fundamental resonance frequency has an integer ratio; vibrating the cantilever at or near the fundamental resonance frequency with a predetermined oscillation amplitude; bringing the cantilever to the vicinity of the sample; tapping the surface of the sample repeatedly using the probe tip; and detecting changes in the amplitude or the phase at the frequency of a higher harmonic corresponding to the selected higher order mode as the cantilever is deflected in response to features on the surface of the sample.