Keysight 5500 SPM
User’s Guide
14
Thermal K
It is sometimes necessary to know the spring constant of an AFM probe.
This chapter reviews the calibration method using Thermal K to
determine spring constants.
Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a powerful technique that can be
used to quantify the elastic properties of materials or to measure single
molecule unfolding or unbinding interactions on the picoNewton scale.
AFM probes are composed of flexible, triangular or rectangular
cantilevers with a sharp tip near the end of the cantilever. They can be
manufactured from a variety of materials, but most AFM probes are
made from silicon and/or silicon nitride (Si
3
N
4
) wafers using
semiconductor-based etching processes.
Figure 14-1
Scanning electron microscopy image of an AFM probe
