Fundamentals and Special Applications of Non-Contact Scanning Force Microscopy

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the fundamentals and special applications of noncontact scanning force microscopy (SFM). By critically analyzing the underlying theories for the various SFM applications, some conclusions concerning dominant future applications in science and technology, further instrumental improvements, and its ultimate capabilities can be drawn. One of the definite scientific goals in SFM is to completely understand force-versus-distance curves. The major applications of noncontact SFM is provided by the interaction between two solids at arbitrary separation and with an arbitrary intervening medium. Other more specific scientific applications of noncontact SFM predominantly include the investigation of electric and magnetic microfields resulting from highly localized charge and spin arrangements. If future technologies allow SFM probes to be fabricated with arbitrary sharpness while keeping satisfactory mechanical properties, the required probe radius is solely determined by the requirement that the probe has to be large enough so that the interaction variation across the sample is well above the thermal noise limit. Sensitivity to forces or force gradients and spatial resolution are, thus, unequivocally related in noncontact SFM. From this universal relation, it then follows that it would never be possible to image individual spins by magnetic force microscopy, but it is indeed possible to image the equivalent of only one electron charge smeared out over a certain area.

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