Nanomechanical mapping with resonance tracking scanned probe microscope

We present a new digital-signal-processor-based resonance tracking system for scanned probe microscopy (SPM) imaging. The system was developed to enable quantitative imaging of mechanical properties with nanoscale spatial resolution at practical data acquisition rates. It consists of a 32-bit floating-point digital signal processor connected to a high-resolution audio coder/decoder subsystem, an rms-to-dc converter and a voltage-controlled oscillator. These components are used in conjunction with a commercial atomic force microscope to create a versatile platform for SPM mechanical mapping. Images of a glass-fibre/polymer matrix composite sample are presented to demonstrate system performance