The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) has become an important tool in biology, physics, and materials science. Most AFM operation modes measure the vertical deflection and the torsion of the cantilever caused by the forces acting between the tip and the sample while it is scanned. This allows nano-scale mapping of properties such as topography, friction, magnetic, electric, and elasticity. In the present work we discuss a new mode of Atomic Force Acoustic Microscopy (AFAM). Until now this technique is based on the measurement of the flexural or torsional resonance frequencies of a cantilever vibrating in contact with the sample. Both types of contact resonance frequencies contain information about the contact vertical and lateral stiffness between sensor tip and sample and thus about the elastic properties of the sample. Here we show that it is possible to image local variation in shear elastic properties by exciting the lateral resonances of the cantilever, which are in fact the flexural resonances of the cantilever polarized in its width direction. We give an analysis of the modes observed and show also images.
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