Particular artifacts of topographic images of dielectrics in atomic-force microscopy
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Particular Artifacts of Topographic Images of Dielectrics in Atomic-Force Microscopy A. L. Tolstikhina, R. V. Gaœnutdinov, M. L. Zanaveskin, K. L. Sorokina, N. V. Belugina, and Yu. V. Grishchenko Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiœ pr. 59, Moscow, 119333 Russia e-mail: [email protected] Received March 28, 2007
Abstract—Particular artifacts of atomic-force microscopy (AFM) images of dielectrics, which are related to the presence of a static charge on the surface, are described. Artificial climate control with the use of a TRACKPORE ROOM-02 climatic box during measurements makes it possible to remove the static charge, owing to which the quality of AFM images and reliability of measured metric surface characteristics increase. Comparative analysis of the surface roughness measured under conventional conditions of microscope operation (static charge is present on a dielectric surface) and under the conditions of controlled artificial climate (static charge is completely removed) is performed. It is established that, in the presence of a static charge on the surface, roughness measurements may yield both overestimated and underestimated values; the largest increase in error is observed in measurements of micro- and nanosized surface areas. PACS numbers: 68.37.Ps DOI: 10.1134/S1063774507050203
INTRODUCTION Despite the very rapid development of scanning probe techniques for measuring various physical quantities, obtainment of surface images with high spatial resolution and quantitative analysis of metric characteristics remain among the main problems of atomic-force microscopy (AFM). Modern atomic-force microscopes give information on the state of the surface of materials with different types of conductivity, including dielectrics, in a wide range of linear sizes: from several hundred micrometers to several nanometers in the lateral direction and from several micrometers to several fractions of angstroms in the vertical direction. The metric characteristics of the surface of samples studied are generally determined on the basis of the topographic images obtained in the contact or intermittent-contact modes of microscope operation. However, AFM images can be distorted by various artifacts, a circumstance that naturally affects implementation of the potential microscope resolution and reliability of the derived data on the surface relief. In AFM, image artifacts are a separate subject of study. In view of application of microscopes as highprecision measuring instruments, this problem is of fundamental importance since nanoscale investigations require limiting accuracy. Currently, many artifacts, as well as methods for eliminating or minimizing their effect, have been studied and described in methodical recommendations of manufacturers of scanning probe microscopes [1] and in [2–5]. AFM artifacts were classified in [6]. The distortions caused by nonideal charac-
teristics (design features) of microscope units are assigned to instrumental artifacts (distortions
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