AVS 51st International Symposium
    Nanometer-scale Science and Technology Thursday Sessions
       Session NS1-ThA

Invited Paper NS1-ThA3
High-Resolution Force Microscopy: Observing Atoms at Work

Thursday, November 18, 2004, 2:40 pm, Room 213C

Session: Nanoscale Imaging
Presenter: R. Bennewitz, McGill University, Canada
Authors: R. Bennewitz, McGill University, Canada
L. Nony, University of Basel, Switzerland
E. Gnecco, University of Basel, Switzerland
O. Pfeiffer, University of Basel, Switzerland
A. Socoliuc, University of Basel, Switzerland
S. Maier, University of Basel, Switzerland
A. Wetzel, University of Basel, Switzerland
C. Gerber, University of Basel, Switzerland
E. Meyer, University of Basel, Switzerland
A. Baratoff, University of Basel, Switzerland
Correspondent: Click to Email
Force microscopy has made progress towards quantitative determination of forces with lateral resolution on atomic scale. One example is the observation of enhanceded interactions at the edge atoms of nanoscale pits in KBr surfaces which are able to trap otherwise mobile molecules. Dynamic modes of force microscopy allow to detect dissipative processes with the same lateral resolution. For the molecules trapped in nanoscale pits, a strongly enhanced dissipation is observed compared to the KBr substrate. Dissipation is also the focus of friction force experiments, which recently have revealed new aspects of atomic friction processes, like a regime of ultra-low friction obtained at low loads. New instrumental developments including the combination of a force microscope with mass spectrometer will be discussed.