Simultaneous non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM)/STM imaging and force spectroscopy of Si(1 0 0)(2 × 1) with small oscillation amplitudes

Si(1 0 0)(2 × 1) surface is imaged using a new non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM)/STM with sub-Ångström oscillation amplitudes using stiff tungsten levers. Simultaneous force gradient and STM images of individual dimers and atomic scale defects are obtained. We measured force-distance (f-d) curves with different tips. Some of the tips show long force interactions, whereas some others resolve short-range interatomic force interactions. We observed that the tips showing short-range force interaction give atomic resolution in force gradient scans. This result suggests that short-range force interactions are responsible for atomic resolution in nc-AFM. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Quantitative atom-resolved force gradient imaging using noncontact atomic force microscopy

Quantitative force gradient images are obtained using a sub-angström amplitude, off-resonance lever oscillation method during scanning tunneling microscopy imaging. We report the direct observation of short-range bonds, and the measured short-range force interaction agrees well in magnitude and length scale with theoretical predictions for single bonds. Atomic resolution is shown to be associated with the presence of a prominent short-range contribution to the total force interaction. It is shown that the background longer-range interaction, whose relative magnitude depends on the tip structure, has a significant effect on the contrast observed at the atomic scale. © 2001 American Institute of Physics