Abstract
Atomic processes of mechanical interaction between a tip of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and surfaces were directly observed by time-resolved high-resolution transmission electron microscopy at spatial resolution of 0.2 nm and time resolution of 1/60 s.A piezo-driving specimen holder of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was develoved for the observation of AFM tip-surface interaction. Nanometer-sized tips of gold were allowed to be approached, contacted, bonded, deformed and fractured inside a 200 kV TEM using the specimen holder. Atomic scale contact or non-contact type surface-scanning corresponding to AFM operation was performed using the gold tip. No structural modulation was observed during the non-contact type scanning. On the other hand, the crystallographic boundary formed between the tip and surface during the contact-type scanning. It was found that stick-slip motion appears due to the boundary formation. A few atomic layers near the surfaces and the boundaries were responsible for the contact-type scanning. The surface structure changed after the scanning.
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