A subsurface add-on for standard atomic force microscopes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Physics

Background:

• Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) typically provides surface information.
• Accessing subsurface details with AFM is limited due to technical challenges.
• Existing commercial AFM systems lack integrated ultrasonic capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an add-on module for AFM systems to enable ultrasonic subsurface imaging.
• To address the limitations of electronic crosstalk and insufficient cantilever excitation at MHz frequencies.
• To facilitate subsurface measurements using existing AFM instrumentation.

Main Methods:

• Development of a specialized add-on module for AFM.
• Integration of a unique piezo element with a 2.5 MHz lowest resonance frequency.
• Implementation of a separated electronic connection for the high-frequency piezo element.

Main Results:

• The developed add-on effectively overcomes electronic crosstalk in AFM setups.
• Sufficient cantilever excitation at ultrasonic (MHz) frequencies is achieved.
• The add-on enables subsurface measurements with nanometer resolution.

Conclusions:

• The developed add-on provides a viable solution for subsurface imaging with existing AFMs.
• This advancement supports researchers in performing advanced subsurface analyses.
• The work paves the way for future commercial AFM systems capable of subsurface imaging.