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Tip wear and tip breakage in high-speed atomic force microscopes
Timo Strahlendorff1, Gaoliang Dai2, Detlef Bergmann2
1Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Produktionsmesstechnik, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
Ultramicroscopy
|March 30, 2019
Summary
High-speed atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip abrasion is a significant concern. This study reveals that tip wear occurs abruptly, especially on steep surfaces, increasing breakage risk during high-speed AFM measurements.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Tip abrasion is a critical challenge in high-speed atomic force microscopy (AFM).
- Diamond-like-carbon (DLC) coated tips are commonly used for their durability.
- Understanding wear mechanisms is crucial for reliable high-speed AFM operation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively investigate the tip abrasion of DLC-coated tips in a high-speed, large-range AFM.
- To analyze the effect of scanning speed and load force on tip wear.
- To elucidate the mechanism behind tip breakage during high-speed AFM measurements.
Main Methods:
- Conducted wear tests on silicon, niobium, aluminum, and steel surfaces.
- Applied scanning speeds up to 1 mm/s and vertical load forces up to 33.2 nN.
- Utilized scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and AFM tip characterizers for precise tip form change measurement.
Main Results:
- Tip form changes were observed to be abrupt rather than progressive, particularly on surfaces with steep sidewalls.
- Tip-sample interaction forces increase dramatically when measuring steep surfaces.
- Experimental results were corroborated by tip-sample interaction modeling and simulation.
Conclusions:
- High-speed AFM measurements on steep surfaces significantly increase the risk of tip breakage due to abrupt wear.
- The findings provide critical insights into tip-sample interaction dynamics and wear mechanisms in high-speed AFM.
- This research contributes to improving the reliability and longevity of AFM tips in demanding applications.
Keywords:
Atomic force microscopy (AFM)High-speed AFMTip breakageTip characterizationTip wearTip-sample interactionMore Related Videos
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