Identification of energy-dissipation processes at the nanoscale is demonstrated by using amplitude-modulation atomic force microscopy. The variation of the energy dissipated on a surface by a vibrating tip as a function of its oscillation amplitude has a shape that singles out the dissipative process occurring at the surface. The method is illustrated by calculating the energy-dissipation curves for surface energy hysteresis, long-range interfacial interactions and viscoelasticity. The method remains valid with independency of the amount of dissipated energy per cycle, from 0.1 to 50 eV. The agreement obtained between theory and experiments performed on silicon and polystyrene validates the method.

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We perform a combined experimental and theoretical approach to establish the atomistic origin of energy dissipation occurring while imaging a molecular surface with an amplitude modulation atomic force microscope. We show that the energy transferred by a single nano-asperity to a sexithiophene monolayer is about 0.15 eV/cycle. The configuration space sampled by the tip depends on whether it approaches or withdraws from the surface. The asymmetry arises because of the presence of energy barriers among different deformations of the molecular geometry. This is the source of the material contrast provided by the phase-shift images.

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