Exploring Responsivity, Sensitivity and Resolution in Amplitude Modulated AFM: A Study of Global Behavior and Parameter Influences

Exploring Responsivity, Sensitivity and Resolution in Amplitude Modulated AFM: A Study of Global Behavior and Parameter Influences | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Exploring Responsivity, Sensitivity and Resolution in Amplitude Modulated AFM: A Study of Global Behavior and Parameter Influences Jonathan Ehrmann, Thomas Sattel, Oliver Radler This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6073740/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 14 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Microsystems & Nanoengineering → Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract In atomic force microscopy, sensitivity is one of the most important characteristics as in many measurement applications. Nevertheless, in literature different meanings of the terms sensitivity and resolution can be found. The same holds for the connectected quantity responsivity. In this work we want to make a clear definition of these term in the context of AFM. Additionally, we present the global behavior of the AFM cantilever-sample system in terms of responsivity, noise, and sensitivity. An analytical model is derived that shows this system behavior. This is achieved by finding simple analytical equations for amplitude and phase as functions of the tip-sample distance assuming small amplitudes. Furthermore, the derived equations are scaled to reduce the amount of parameters and get a more generalized form. The scaled equations are analyzed to show the influence of system parameters like damping ratio, excitation frequency and sample parameters on the global system behavior. With that, parameter for best sensitivity can be found. For larger amplitudes where the analytical model is not valid, a numerical model solved with numerical continuation is used to gain further results showing the difference between non-contact and intermittent mode. For validation, we show experimental amplitude distance curves measured with a self-developed setup. This setup is a new possibility to measure amplitude distance curves in an open and flexible environment without the need of having a commercial AFM system. Physical sciences/Engineering Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology/Nanoscale devices/Sensors Full Text Additional Declarations There is no conflict of interest Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 14 Feb, 2026 Read the published version in Microsystems & Nanoengineering → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: revise 14 Jul, 2025 Reviewer # 4 agreed at journal 04 Jun, 2025 Review # 3 received at journal 02 Jun, 2025 Review # 1 received at journal 21 Apr, 2025 Review # 2 received at journal 07 Apr, 2025 Reviewer # 3 agreed at journal 03 Apr, 2025 Reviewer # 2 agreed at journal 25 Mar, 2025 Reviewer # 1 agreed at journal 25 Mar, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 25 Mar, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 04 Mar, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 20 Feb, 2025 First submitted to journal 20 Feb, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6073740","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":433735472,"identity":"3caafa2d-7875-404d-a867-1a9b58d66a97","order_by":0,"name":"Jonathan Ehrmann","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4011-9837","institution":"Technische Universität Ilmenau","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jonathan","middleName":"","lastName":"Ehrmann","suffix":""},{"id":433735473,"identity":"3ee46203-a878-43ec-8140-52bdb3b36e91","order_by":1,"name":"Thomas Sattel","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Technische Universität Ilmenau","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Thomas","middleName":"","lastName":"Sattel","suffix":""},{"id":433735474,"identity":"3a5a7648-6030-4ace-86b1-120cfe93bdb1","order_by":2,"name":"Oliver Radler","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Technische Universität Ilmenau","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Oliver","middleName":"","lastName":"Radler","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-02-20 17:00:11","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6073740/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6073740/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-026-01173-9","type":"published","date":"2026-02-14T05:00:00+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":102655237,"identity":"a552c085-b382-4070-8449-cbe86f3e14ed","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-14 08:26:35","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2779856,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Article File","description":"","filename":"2024EhrmannExploringResponsivitySensitivityandResolutioninAmplitudeModulatedAFM.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6073740/v1_covered_eaffc4ec-490d-4d40-9141-492de666281d.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"There is no conflict of interest","formattedTitle":"Exploring Responsivity, Sensitivity and Resolution in Amplitude Modulated AFM: A Study of Global Behavior and Parameter Influences","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"microsystems-and-nanoengineering","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":false,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"micronano","sideBox":"Learn more about [Microsystems \u0026 Nanoengineering](http://www.nature.com/micronano/)","snPcode":"41378","submissionUrl":"https://mts-micronano.nature.com/","title":"Microsystems \u0026 Nanoengineering","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"ejp","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6073740/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6073740/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"In atomic force microscopy, sensitivity is one of the most important characteristics as in many measurement applications. 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