Electrostatic writing and imaging using a force microscope

A modified force microscope, the electrostatic force microscope, was used to study the charging properties of a polymer surface. A polycarbonate surface was charged by placing a small voltage on a tungsten microscope tip and touching the tip to the surface. It was found that the amount of charge transferred depended on the voltage applied to the tip and on the previous contacts to the surface, but that the charge transferred was independent of the number of contacts and the contact time. These results are compared to polymer/metal contact electrification data in the literature.