Quantitative phase-mode electrostatic force microscopy on silicon oxide nanostructures

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Phase-mode electrostatic force microscopy (EFM-Phase) is used to visualize surface electrostatic potential.
• Silicon oxide stripes fabricated via oxidation scanning probe lithography exhibit localized trapped charges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish silicon oxide nanopatterns as benchmark samples for assessing EFM-Phase spatial and voltage resolution.
• To quantitatively analyze electrostatic interactions and trapped charge distributions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of silicon oxide stripes using oxidation scanning probe lithography.
• Application of an analytical model using prolate spheroidal coordinates to describe tip-surface electrostatic interactions.
• Quantitative fitting of experimental EFM-Phase data.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the utility of silicon oxide nanopatterns as benchmark samples for EFM-Phase.
• Achieved a lateral resolution of approximately 60 nm.
• Determined a charge resolution of approximately 20 electrons.
• Identified a bimodal population of trapped charges within the nanopatterned stripes.

Conclusions:

• EFM-Phase is a viable technique for imaging surface electrostatic potential with high resolution.
• The developed analytical model accurately describes electrostatic interactions and enables quantitative analysis.
• Silicon oxide nanopatterns serve as effective benchmarks for advancing EFM-Phase capabilities.