Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Contact resonance atomic force microscopy for viscoelasticity

Published

Author(s)

Donna C. Hurley, Philip Yuya, J Turner

Abstract

We present a quantitative method for determining the viscoelastic properties of materials with nanometer spatial resolution. The approach is based on the atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM) technique that involves the resonant frequencies of the AFM cantilever when its tip is in contact with a sample surface. We derive expressions for the sample's visoelastic properties in terms of the cantilever's frequency response and damping losses. We demonstrate the approach by obtaining experimental values for the storage and loss moduli of a poly methyl methacrylate (PPMA) film using a polystyrene sample as a reference material. Experimental techniques and system calibration methods to perform materials-property measurements are also presented.
Citation
Journal of Applied Physics
Volume
104

Keywords

viscoelastic properties, contact-resonance AFM, polymers

Citation

Hurley, D. , Yuya, P. and Turner, J. (2008), Contact resonance atomic force microscopy for viscoelasticity, Journal of Applied Physics, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=854070 (Accessed April 25, 2024)
Created October 15, 2008, Updated February 19, 2017