Exploring the Effect of Surface Topography on Probe Deformation in Atomic Force Microscopy

Session

Poster Session Two

Authors

Mr Harrison Swift (1), Prof Jamie Hobbs (1)

Affiliations

1. University of Sheffield

Keywords

Atomic Force Microscopy, AFM, High Aspect Ratio,

Abstract text

In an effort to increase the resolution of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), sharper and higher aspect ratio tips have been developed. These probes have a stiffness at their apex that is comparable to that of the cantilever. Therefore, the probes are able to deform and bend under typical imaging forces. We can gain an insight into the degree of tip deformation by monitoring the lateral deflection of the cantilever, which is measured by the optical laser deflection system of the AFM.

In this work, we collected force-volume data and monitored the position of the probe throughout the entire imaging cycle. We then used this to see the effect of surface topography on the position of the probe as it approaches and makes contact with the surface.  We also developed code to monitor the vertical and lateral deflection data throughout the force-volume curves to gain a deeper insight into the behaviour of the tip and the true sample topography. 

We will further discuss the possible impacts of this research on surface metrology using AFM.

References