Tip-sample relaxation as a source of uncertainty in nanoscale scanning probe microscopy measurements
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2009 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Measurement Science and Technology |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Solid matter physics and magnetism |
| Keywords | atomic force microscopy; uncertainty; DFT; carbon nanotube |
| Description | Nanoscale dimensional measurements are very often focused on small objects formed by only a few atomic layers in one or more dimensions. The classical convolution approach to tip-sample artefacts cannot be valid for these specimens due to the quantum-mechanical nature of small objects. As interatomic forces act on the sample and the tip of the microscope, the atoms of both relax in order to reach equilibrium positions. This leads to changes in those quantities that are finally interpreted as the atomic force microscope (AFM) tip position and influences the resultant dimensional measurements. In this paper, sources of uncertainty connected with tip-surface relaxation at the atomic level are discussed. Results of density functional theory modeling (using the tight-binding approximation software Fireball) of AFM scans on typical systems used in nanometrology, e.g., fullerenes and carbon nanotubes, on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite substrates are presented. |
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