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Method for the calibration of atomic force microscope cantilevers

Rev. Sci. Instrum. 66, 3789 (1995); doi:10.1063/1.1145439

Issue Date: July 1995

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John E. Sader
Department of Mathematics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052 Victoria, Australia

Ian Larson and Paul Mulvaney
Department of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052 Victoria, Australia

Lee R. White
Department of Mathematics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3052 Victoria, Australia
The determination of the spring constants of atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilevers is of fundamental importance to users of the AFM. In this paper, a fast and nondestructive method for the evaluation of the spring constant which relies solely on the determination of the unloaded resonant frequency of the cantilever, a knowledge of its density or mass, and its dimensions is proposed. This is in contrast to the method of Cleveland et al. [Rev. Sci. Instrum. 64, 403 (1993)], which requires the attachment of masses to the cantilever in the determination of the spring constant. A number of factors which can influence the resonant frequency are examined, in particular (i) gold coating, which can result in a dramatic variation in the resonant frequency, for which a theoretical account is presented and (ii) air damping which, it is found, leads to a shift of ~4% in the resonant frequency down on its value in a vacuum. Furthermore, the point of load on the cantilever is found to be extremely important, since a small variation in the load point can lead to a dramatic variation in the spring constant. Theoretical results that account for this variation, which, it is believed will be of great practical value to the users of the AFM, are given. ©1995 American Institute of Physics.
History: Received 2 December 1994; accepted 27 March 1995
Permalink: http://link.aip.org/link/?RSINAK/66/3789/1
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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords
PACS
  • 07.79.Lh
    Instruments, apparatus, components, and techniques common to several branches of physics and astronomy Scanning probe microscopes, components, and techniques Atomic force microscopes
  • YEAR: 1995

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ISSN:
0034-6748 (print)   1089-7623 (online)
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