Fast phase imaging in liquids using a rapid scan atomic force microscope

摘要

The authors report on fast phase imaging in liquids achieved by fast phase detection in rapid scan atomic force microscopy. The phase-shift images clearly revealed the compositional heterogeneities in styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer films even at an imaging rate of less than 100 ms/frame. They found that the contrast variations of the phase images depended on the phase-shift detection timing within a single oscillation cycle. The phase contrast increased as the tip approached the surface in each oscillation during imaging, while it decreased as the tip withdrew from the surface.