Spring constant of a tuning-fork sensor for dynamic force microscopy
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Updated: May 14, 2026

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid
Published on: December 2, 2022
Dennis van Vörden1, Manfred Lange, Merlin Schmuck
1Faculty of Physics, University of Duisburg-Essen, Lotharstr. 1-21 47048 Duisburg, Germany.
Abstract:
We present an overview of experimental and numerical methods to determine the spring constant of a quartz tuning fork in qPlus configuration. The simple calculation for a rectangular cantilever is compared to the values obtained by the analysis of the thermal excitation and by the direct mechanical measurement of the force versus displacement. To elucidate the difference, numerical simulations were performed taking account of the real geometry including the glue that is used to mount the tuning fork.
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