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Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...

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Atomic Force Microscopy Imaging and Force Spectroscopy of Supported Lipid Bilayers

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Resolving the Subsurface Structure and Elastic Modulus of Layered Films via Contact Resonance Atomic Force

Gheorghe Stan¹, Cristian V Ciobanu², Sean W King³

¹Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland20899, United States.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

|December 1, 2022

Summary

This study introduces a new method using contact resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM) to quantitatively measure subsurface layer thickness and mechanical properties. Accurate depth determination is possible when material properties are known, enabling non-destructive analysis.

Keywords:

adhesive contact mechanics contact resonance atomic force microscopy correlative analysis finite element analysis layered materials quantitative subsurface imaging

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Area of Science:

Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Surface Science

Background:

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a key tool for nanoscale surface characterization.
AFM techniques have advanced to enable subsurface imaging, primarily for qualitative feature detection.
Quantitative 3D subsurface characterization remains a challenge for layered materials.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a methodology for quantitative 3D subsurface characterization using AFM.
To determine film depth and mechanical properties of layered materials.
To establish a non-destructive technique for analyzing subsurface features.

Main Methods:

Utilized load-dependent contact resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM).
Employed accurate modeling of the AFM tip-sample contact mechanics.
Performed statistical analysis to understand resonance frequency and contact stiffness relationships.

Main Results:

Established a relationship between CR-AFM probe resonance frequency and contact stiffness.
Identified an intrinsic interdependence between depth and modulus sensitivities in CR-AFM.
Demonstrated that simultaneous accurate determination of depth and modulus is not feasible on single-layered samples without prior knowledge.

Conclusions:

The developed methodology accurately determines layer depth when elastic moduli are known.
CR-AFM is a robust, non-destructive technique for probing layer thickness and subsurface features.
Applicable to materials in semiconductor electronics, additive manufacturing, and biomaterials.