Atomic force microscope in a contactless mode: Peculiarities of force interactions

Forces of interaction between the atomic force microscope (AFM) probe and the surface of a solid are calculated with an allowance for the induced cantilever oscillations. A continuous approximation used in this work does not take into account discreteness of the sample and probe structures. Calculations have been performed for various AFM point shapes. It is theoretically demonstrated that the cantilever oscillations increase the interaction force.