ViscoElastic AFM (VE‐AFM) / Force Modulation Microscope
VE-AFM is an imaging technique to explore the surface nano-mechanical properties by using a contact mode operation. As the AFM probe is scanned over the surface of interest, an oscillatory signal (3-5kHz) is applied whilst a constant force is maintained on the sample. The oscillatory signal is over 3 orders of magnitude higher than the scan rate, so topographic features can be de-coupled from surface properties. Changes in the oscillatory amplitude are related to the dissipation between tip and sample, reflecting the visco-elastic properties.
Animation of VE‐AFM Observation: CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforced plastic)
VE‐AFM CFRP (Carbon fiber reinforced plastic)