The shear forces between a tapered fiber probe and a glass slice sampl
e were determined without any fitting parameter. The calculations were
based on a continuous mechanical model which includes the realistic t
apered liber shape, The input parameters for the model, the vibration
amplitude and phase changes during the tip and sample interactions, we
re measured directly by a modified beam diffraction method. (C) 1998 E
lsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.