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Atomic Force Microscopy01:08

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A chemical formula presents information about the proportions of atoms constituting a particular chemical compound or molecule, mainly using symbols of elements and numbers. At times other symbols, such as dashes, parentheses, brackets, commas, plus, and minus signs, are also used. A chemical formula can be one of three types – molecular, empirical, and structural.
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Near Simultaneous Laser Scanning Confocal and Atomic Force Microscopy Conpokal on Live Cells
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Chemical Phenomena of Atomic Force Microscopy Scanning.

Anton V Ievlev, Chance Brown1, Matthew J Burch

  • 1The Bredesen Center , University of Tennessee , 821 Volunteer Boulevard , Knoxville , Tennessee 37920 , United States.

Analytical Chemistry
|January 31, 2018
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Summary

Standard atomic force microscopy (AFM) scanning can alter sample surfaces by depositing silicone oils from the AFM tip. This finding challenges the assumption of tip inertness and impacts material characterization.

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Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Surface Chemistry
  • Analytical Chemistry

Background:

  • Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a key technique for nanoscale material characterization.
  • AFM tips are commonly assumed to be chemically inert during imaging.
  • The chemical interactions at the tip-surface junction are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate chemical processes at the tip-surface junction during AFM scanning.
  • To determine if standard AFM procedures chemically alter material surfaces.
  • To identify the source and extent of chemical contamination from AFM tips.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a hybrid system combining time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) with AFM.
  • Performed contact mode AFM scanning on material samples.
  • Analyzed scanned regions for chemical modifications using ToF-SIMS.

Main Results:

  • Basic contact mode AFM scanning significantly modifies material surfaces.
  • Silicone oils from AFM tip storage containers were found in scanned areas.
  • Contamination spread over distances exceeding 15 μm from the scanned tip path.

Conclusions:

  • The chemical inertness of AFM tips is not universally applicable, even in basic scanning modes.
  • Silicone oil contamination from tip storage affects nanoscale surface characterization.
  • Results necessitate re-evaluation of AFM data, especially for mechanical and electrical studies.