Infrared characterization of a sample using oscillating mode

1. A method of performing spectroscopy using an atomic force microscope (AFM), the method comprising:

causing a probe of the AFM to interact with the sample for multiple cycles, so as to produce a transient probe-sample interaction force, with an oscillating drive signal having a frequency below f o , wherein f o is a resonance frequency of the probe;

controlling the transient probe-sample interaction force;

providing a pulsed light source to generate a pulse having a pulse width;

directing the pulse at the sample where the probe is located causing an induced sample modification, wherein the pulse substantially coincides with the probe-sample contact time;

measuring probe deflection due at least in part to the induced sample modification and determining, using the measured probe deflection, a response of the probe due to the induced sample modification;

deriving at least one transient characteristic of the probe response; and

providing a pulse selector which provides an un-pulsed interaction cycle for background subtraction with cycles of the drive signal so that the pulse interacts with the probe tip and sample every other cycle of probe-sample interaction.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a wavelength of the light source ranges from ultraviolet to far IR.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the wavelength is mid-IR.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a transient probe-sample interaction time is at least 10 times longer than the pulse width.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising synchronizing the pulse to the transient probe-sample interaction portion of the oscillation cycle of the oscillating drive signal.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising synchronously averaging the probe response.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

collecting the at least one transient characteristic for different wave numbers of light pulses directed at the probe; and

translating the probe relative to the sample and also performing all of the above steps of the method of claim 1 at each scan location.

8. A method of performing spectroscopy using an atomic force microscope (AFM), the method comprising:

causing a probe of the AFM to interact with the sample for multiple cycles, so as to produce a transient probe-sample interaction force, with an oscillating drive signal having a frequency below f o , wherein f o is a resonance frequency of the probe;

controlling the transient probe-sample interaction force;

providing a pulsed light source to generate a pulse having a pulse width;

directing the pulse at the sample where the probe is located causing an induced sample modification, wherein the pulse substantially coincides with the probe-sample contact time;

measuring probe deflection due at least in part to the induced sample modification and determining, using the measured probe deflection, a response of the probe due to the induced sample modification;

deriving at least one transient characteristic of the probe response; and wherein the oscillating mode of AFM operation is a flexural mode of AFM operation in which the drive signal has a frequency f flexure , and wherein the directing step includes directing pulses at the probe tip with a frequency f pulse , and further comprising,

synchronizing the pulses with cycles of drive signal so that the pulses are directed at the probe tip and sample during probe-sample interaction; and

wherein the determining step includes discriminating the flexural response of the probe due to AFM control and the flexural response of the probe due to the IR induced sample modification.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the discriminating step includes setting a frequency (f flexure ) of the drive signal to an integer number times a frequency (f pulse ) of the directing step and monitoring the amplitude of the flexural response.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the discriminating step includes determining an offset between a baseline of the flexural oscillation with and without the induced sample modification.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the offset is indicative of induced sample modification due to expansion or shrinkage of the surface after the directing the pulse at the sample step.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein a spatial resolution of the spectroscopy measurement is sub-20 nm.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling step includes operating the AFM in peak force tapping (PFT) mode.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a time at which the directing step is performed in each cycle of the causing step as a reference to synchronously average multiple cycles of probe deflection.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a pulse selector which provides an un-pulsed interaction cycle for background subtraction with cycles of the drive signal so that the IR pulse interacts with the probe tip and sample every other cycle of probe-sample interaction; and

detecting the deflection of the probe with a detector; and

determining a flexural response of the probe due to the IR induced sample modification from the detected deflection.

16. A method of performing spectroscopy using an atomic force microscope (AFM), the method comprising:

causing a probe of the AFM to interact with the sample for multiple cycles, so as to produce a transient probe-sample interaction force, with an oscillating drive signal having a frequency at least 10× below f o , wherein f o is a resonance frequency of the probe;

controlling the transient probe-sample interaction force;

providing a pulsed light source to generate a pulse having a pulse width;

directing the pulse at the sample where the probe is located causing an induced sample modification, wherein the pulse substantially coincides with the probe-sample contact time;

measuring probe deflection due at least in part to the induced sample modification and determining, using the measured probe deflection, a response of the probe due to the induced sample modification; and

deriving at least one transient characteristic of the probe response.