Can Atomic Force Microscopy Achieve Atomic Resolution in Contact Mode?
- 12 February 2001
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Physical Society (APS) in Physical Review Letters
- Vol. 86 (7) , 1287-1290
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.86.1287
Abstract
Atomic force microscopy operating in the contact mode is studied using total-energy pseudopotential calculations. It is shown that, in the case of a diamond tip and a diamond surface, it is possible for a tip terminated by a single atom to sustain forces in excess of 30 nN. It is also shown that imaging at atomic resolution may be limited by blunting of the tip during lateral scanning.Keywords
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