Patent ID: 8590061

Claim:
A method of determining an optimal input force to be applied to a scanning probe microscope (SPM) to provide rapid broadband nanomechanical measurement of soft materials using the indentation-based nanomechanical measurement method for the investigation of a fast evolving phenomenon, comprising the steps of: applying an excitation force to the SPM; measuring force and indentation data of soft material from the SPM; estimating parameters of a compliance model of the soft material from the force and indentation data; seeking an input design for a subsequent excitation force to be applied to the SPM using the parameters from the step of estimating; and repeating the steps of applying, measuring, estimating, and seeking for a plurality of times to obtain an optimal input force design to be applied to the SPM to provide rapid broadband nanomechanical measurement of soft materials for the investigation of fast evolving phenomenon.