Atomic force acoustic microscopy is a near-field technique which combines t
he ability of ultrasonics to image elastic properties with the high lateral
resolution of scanning probe microscopes. We present a technique to measur
e the contact stiffness and the Young's modulus of sample surfaces quantita
tively, with a resolution of approximately 20 nm, exploiting the contact re
sonance frequencies of standard cantilevers used in atomic force microscopy
. The Young's modulus of nanocrystalline ferrite films has been measured as
a function of oxidation temperature. Furthermore, images showing the domai
n structure of piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate ceramics have been tak
en. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.