Energy Dissipated in Tapping Mode Atomic Force Microscopes due to Humidity

Phase imaging is an important imaging model of atomic force microscopes (AFMs). It provides many sample properties that the height image does not. The phase information reflects the energy dissipation of the probe and sample interactions. Therefore, the energy dissipation between the tip and sample in the tapping mode is of great significance for understanding the mechanism of phase imaging experimentally and theoretically. In this paper, we propose a new method for measuring energy dissipation in tapping mode AFMs. The formation and rupture processes of liquid bridges are studied by this method. Finally, the experimental results are compared with the theoretical model. The comparison shows that the method of experimental measurement and the formation mechanism of liquid bridges in the tapping mode are reliable.