Measuring energies with an Atomic Force Microscope

The elastic and plastic response of ordered inorganic, organic and biological materials involving nanometer-scale volumes in the nano- and low micronewton force range can be characterized by means of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) using ultrasharp cantilever tips with radius R typically below $10\...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Europhysics letters 2006-04, Vol.74 (1), p.110-116
Main Authors: Langer, J, Díez-Pérez, I, Sanz, F, Fraxedas, J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
68.35.-p
68.37.Ps
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Summary:The elastic and plastic response of ordered inorganic, organic and biological materials involving nanometer-scale volumes in the nano- and low micronewton force range can be characterized by means of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) using ultrasharp cantilever tips with radius R typically below $10\un{nm}$. Because the plastic onset can be easily identified, the maximal accumulated elastic energy can be directly determined from the force curves (force F vs. penetration δ curves), thus giving a realistic estimate of the characteristic energies of the materials. We illustrate the ability of AFMs to determine such energies with the case example of the molecular organic metal TTF-TCNQ (TTF = tetrathiafulvalene, TCNQ = tetracyanoquinodimethane), where the enthalpy of sublimation is obtained.
ISSN:0295-5075
1286-4854
DOI:10.1209/epl/i2005-10513-4