AFM Modes

Resonance Enhanced AFM‑IR (RE AFM‑IR)

A versatile photothermal AFM-IR implementation optimized for sensitive, efficient acquisition of chemical maps and topographic images.

RE AFM‑IR provides simultaneous topography and chemical images, and measures IR spectroscopy with high sensitivity. In this mode, the laser pulse rate matches a contact resonance frequency of the probe, improving sensitivity and data collection efficiency. RE AFM‑IR is one of the most‑published photothermal AFM‑IR modes due to its excellent sensitivity and relatively long adoption history.

In RE AFM‑IR, the pulse rate of a mid‑IR laser is tuned to match a contact resonance frequency of a soft cantilever scanning the surface in contact mode. The photothermal IR response is detected at the same frequency. To compensate for the resonance shift from mechanical property differences, a phase‑locked loop (PLL) synchronizes laser pulse rate and contact resonance frequency of the cantilever on the sample.

RE AFM‑IR should be used in situations where spectral identification is the primary goal and ease of use is a key concern. It is particularly effective for chemical analysis on very thin samples, such as self‑assembled monolayers on non‑metal substrates. RE AFM‑IR is very versatile and can be used for nanoscale chemical identification of thin films, bulk‑faced polymers, microtomed sections, and biological samples.

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(clockwise from top left) PVDF nanofibers with accompanying polarized IR spectra, PP/SiO2 nanocomposite, and PEG monolayer. Scan sizes (X): 12 μm, 2 μm, 10 μm.

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The Definitive AFM Modes Handbook contains everything you need to understand, select, and apply AFM techniques in materials research, including:

An easy-to-use framework for understanding the seven categories of AFM modes, their capabilities, and their core uses

Detailed descriptions of 50+ modes and variants (including 300+ data images)
Summary information about what each mode is, how it works, and when to use it

Our experts' top probe recommendations for each mode

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AFM Modes

AFM modes and the broad capabilities from AFM beyond imaging