Tuning the instability in static mode atomic force spectroscopy as obtained in an AFM by applying an electric field between the tip and the substrate

We have investigated experimentally the role of cantilever instabilities in determination of the static mode force–distance curves in presence of a dc electric field. The electric field has been applied between the tip and the sample in an atomic force microscope working in ultra-high vacuum. We have shown how an electric field modifies the observed force (or cantilever deflection)-vs-distance curves, commonly referred to as the static mode force spectroscopy curves, taken using an atomic force microscope. The electric field induced instabilities shift the jump-into-contact and jump-off-contact points and also the deflection at these instability points. We explained the experimental results using a model of the tip–sample interaction and quantitatively established a relation between the observed static mode force spectroscopy curves and the applied electric field which modifies the effective tip–sample interaction in a controlled manner. The investigation establishes a way to quantitatively evaluate the electrostatic force in an atomic force microscope using the static mode force spectroscopy curves.