Application of commercially available cantilevers in tuning fork Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) studies

We describe the construction and operation of an atomic force microscope based on a tuning fork sensor with probe tips obtained from commercially available cantilevers. Only the tip from the cantilever is mounted on the tuning fork, minimizing the change in resonant frequency and the quality factor Q of the tuning fork. The technique allows the use of a variety of commercially available tips for use in different probe microscopy applications like magnetic force microscopy. The compact design of the microscope and its simple feedback electronics make it well suited for operation in novel environments such as at cryogenic temperatures. We present high resolution atomic force images of graphite surfaces, as well as scanning probe images of magnetic domains and Ni dot arrays taken with this microscope.