Nano-scale simulative measuring model for tapping mode atomic force microscopy and analysis for measuring a...

This study proposes to construct a nano-scale simulative measuring model of Tapping Mode Atomic Force Microscopy (TM-AFM), compare with the edge effect of simulative and measurement results. It combines with the Morse potential and vibration theory to calculate the tip-sample atomic interaction force between probe and sample. Used Silicon atoms (Si) arrange the shape of the rectangular cantilever probe and the nano-scale ladder-shape standard sample atomic model. The simulative measurements are compared with the results for the simulative measurements and experimental measurement. It is found that the scan rate and the probe tip's bevel angle are the two reasons to cause the surface error and edge effect of measuring the nano-scale ladder-shape standard sample by TM-AFM. And the bevel angle is about equal to the probe tip's bevel angle from the results of simulated and experimented on the vertical section of the sample edge. To compare with the edge effect between the simulation and experimental measurement, its error is small. It could be verified that the constructed simulative measuring model for TM-AFM in this article is reasonable.