Adhesion artefacts in atomic force microscopy imaging

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is crucial for nanoscale surface analysis.
• Adhesion forces can introduce artefacts in AFM imaging, affecting contrast and quantitative measurements.
• Aramid fibres, used in advanced materials, present unique challenges for AFM analysis due to their surface properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate artefacts arising from adhesion forces in AFM images of aramid fibres.
• To differentiate between artefacts caused by surface chemistry and topography.
• To develop methods for removing these artefacts for more accurate analysis.

Main Methods:

• Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to image fresh and plasma-treated aramid fibres.
• Analysis focused on adhesion forces and their contribution to image contrast.
• Techniques were developed to decouple vertical and lateral force contributions.

Main Results:

• Artefacts in AFM images of aramid fibres originate from both surface chemical variations and topographical features.
• These artefacts result from lateral forces comparable to vertical forces, impacting image interpretation.
• A method was successfully developed to uncouple these force contributions, eliminating artefacts.

Conclusions:

• The developed method allows for artefact-free AFM imaging of aramid fibres.
• Accurate quantitative measurements can be obtained by removing adhesion force artefacts.
• The findings are broadly applicable to AFM analysis of various materials.