Résumé
In order to account for realistic cantilever geometries and tip–sample interactions, finite element methods (FEM) can be powerful alternatives. In this chapter, we opted to use a one-dimensional (1D) FEM model for the cantilever beam, which permits to treat the exact vibration of the beam in the contact mode, regardless of its shape (rectangular as well as triangular beams) and excitation mode (by the beam holder, by the sample, by a localized, or distributed force). Based on a classic finite element scheme, it is easy to program for a non-specialist user and as rapid as the usual analytical models. We demonstrate that the mode of excitation of the beam strongly influences the cantilever’s frequency response in the contact mode. This chapter is therefore an attempt to propose in a simple numerical model, a tool allowing a deeper understanding of the dynamic mechanical response of the AFM probe in contact with a viscoelastic sample.