Effect of the Adhesive Mass at the Cantilever Beam Tip Position

This study employs finite element simulations to investigate the relationship between the equivalent mass and the real mass of end masses adhered to the tip of the cantilever beam of an atomic force microscope. The equivalent mass was determined by analyzing the variation in the resonant frequency of the cantilever beam caused by the addition of the end mass. The analysis considered five different adhesive mass materials, namely copper, aluminum, S45C steel, titanium alloy and magnesium alloy. Furthermore, the analysis also considerd the effect of the position of the adhesive mass on its equivalent mass value. The numerical results indicate that the equivalent adhesive mass is less than the real adhesive mass. The ratio of the equivalent adhesive mass to the real adhesive mass is approximately constant for a given adhesive position and adhesive material and has a value of approximately 0.6361 for a high-density material. Finally, the results show that an offset of the adhesive mass from the tip position causes a slight change in the value of the equivalent mass to real mass ratio.