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High resolution surface morphology measurements using EBSD cross-correlation techniques and AFM.
M D Vaudin1, G Stan, Y B Gerbig
1Ceramics Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA. mark.vaudin@nist.gov
Ultramicroscopy
|July 19, 2011
Summary
Surface morphology around wedge indentations in silicon was measured using electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Both methods accurately mapped surface uplift, validating elastic uplift theory for silicon.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid Mechanics
- Surface Science
Background:
- Understanding surface deformation is crucial for micro/nano-scale material behavior.
- Wedge indentations induce complex stress fields and surface morphology changes in crystalline materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the surface morphology around wedge indentations in (001) silicon.
- To compare the efficacy of EBSD and AFM in measuring surface uplift.
- To validate elastic uplift theory against experimental data.
Main Methods:
- Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) for lattice displacement and rotation mapping.
- Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in intermittent contact mode for high-resolution surface topography.
- Summation of lattice rotations to quantify surface uplift via EBSD.
- Direct height profiling across indentations.
Main Results:
- EBSD and AFM measurements of surface uplift showed excellent agreement, within 1 nm height difference.
- Lattice rotations measured by EBSD correlated with surface topography changes.
- Experimental data demonstrated good agreement with predictions from elastic uplift theory.
Conclusions:
- EBSD and AFM are reliable techniques for quantifying surface morphology and uplift in indented silicon.
- The study validates the application of elastic uplift theory to model deformation around indentations in silicon.
- Precise surface morphology characterization is essential for understanding mechanical behavior at the nanoscale.
