AFM Fundamental System Components

Outline Sample preparation Instrument setting Data acquisition Imaging software

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Elements of a Basic Atomic force Microscope

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Potential Diagram
Repulsion

Distance

Attraction

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Piezoelectric Material

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Sample Preparation
AFM Does require minimum of sample preparation: No clean room handling No thin film metal coating Works in liquids, gases, and vacuum Works at elevated or sub ambient temperatures Dimensions are not critical
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Instrument Setting
Sample: Center it in the middle of the sample plate and immobilize it using dual side sticky pads Laser: Laser beam has to bounce on the tip of the cantilever. Photodiode: Reflected beam signal has to be shared equally between the 4 cells System adjustment: Servo Gain (PI values), Force, Raster speed
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Two progressively greater magnifications

(Lowest magnification, over a 10m grating)

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(Highest magnification, over a 10m grating)

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Camera and Lens Assembly

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Video System Overview

The NAVITAR zoom lens system provides an optical magnification range of 2.1x-13.5x to the camera. The degree of magnification at the monitor depends on the ratio of the monitor size to the CCD chip size. The camera uses a 1/3" CCD (6mm diagonal). Using a 12" monitor (305mm diagonal) with the 1/3" CCD chip, the total magnification of the system would then be (13.5) x (1.8) x (305/6) 1230 (1 micron would be seen as 1.2 mm on the screen)
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How the sample is scanned

Positioning the probe The main challenge is to move the probe with increments as small as 0.05 nm and keep it at the right position Resolution in the X-Y range is limited by the radius of the probe ~ tens nm Resolution in the Z-range is limited by the noise of the system ~0.05 nm Introduction to Piezoelectric materials Ceramic tube Pendulum design
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How to move and to maintain the probe at the right position?

For a full scale of 1 micron assuming an image area of 1000 x 1000 pixel the x-y resolution is 1 nm No mechanical positioning can meet this specification Piezoelectric ceramic actuators can meet these requirements

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Introduction to Piezo-Electric Properties

Electric dipoles in domains; (1) unpoled ferroelectric ceramic (2) During and (3) after poling (piezoelectic ceramic) PZT (Lead zirconium titanate) ceramics must be poled at an elevated temperature. The ceramic now exhibits piezoelectric properties and will change dimensions when an electric potential is applied.
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Piezoelectric materials and scanners

The extension or contraction of a piezoelectric element is small For example, for a 5 cm long piezoelectric element, a voltage of100 V will result in an extension of 1 micron Since voltages can be controlled on the level of at least 10 mV, this gives a resolution of 0.1 nm or 1 Angstrom
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Ceramic Tubular Actuator

There are four electrically isolated parts on the outside of the tube; +X, -X, +Y, -Y and one electrical electrode inside of the tube: Z Spring 2009

The tube is deformed in a controlled way by applying a voltage on the X electrodes

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Errors Introduced by the PZT Scanner Hysteresis

Voltage

Creep

Voltage

Top: PZT materials have hysteresis. When a voltage ramp is placed on the ceramic, the motion is nonlinear. Bottom: Creep occurs when a voltage pulse on a PZT causes initial motion followed by drift.
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Linearity Error

A test pattern with squares, A, will appear severely distorted if the piezoelectric scanner in the AFM is not linear as in B. A common method for correcting the problems of X-Y non-linearity and calibration is to add calibration sensors to the X-Y piezoelectric scanners (Close loop scanner).
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Error due to the Bow

The motion of the probe is nonlinear in the Z axis as it is scanned across a surface. The motion can be spherical

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Bow and Tilt

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Balanced Pendulum: How Does It Work

Laser tracking spot remains fixed relative to Z-piezo & AFM cantilever Z-piezo does not bend

Y scan

Tube Design

Pendulum Design

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Why Balance the Pendulum

Moving weight distribution for scanning accuracy and speed
Traditional tube scanner Pendulum scanner

sample

Simple pendulum: scans slower, less accurate during turn around, more noise

Balanced pendulum Scans faster, less noisy More accurate control in XYZ Low inertia Maintains rigidity Minimizes X-Y coupling

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Nose Assemblies
The nose assembly retains the cantilever and enables its motion. A spring clip on the nose assembly secures the probe in place. Onepiece nose assemblies are available for different modes and may include additional electronics and/or components.

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Clockwise from upper left: Top MAC, CSAFM, Contact Mode, AC Mode, 22 STM

Mounting the Nose Assembly on the Scanner

Push evenly and straight down when inserting the nose assembly. Small off-axis forces will create LARGE torques about the anchor point for the piezoes, where most breakage occurs. Do NOT push as this will damage the spring clip and/or glass down on the top of the nose assembly window.

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Controlling and Imaging Software

PicoView provides control and the first line of visual interpretation and has to be understood before getting any further. It gives limited information about results and requires the use of a more sophisticated software to interpret the experiments. Gwyddion and Imaging Metrology provide sample measurements and statistical data. They have to be used to prepare professional reports.
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PicoView Powerful SPM Control Software

Benefits Simultaneous real-time display of up to eight channels (in all resolutions) Simultaneously display real-time image and post-processed data Unlimited data points in spectroscopy 16x16 to 4096x4096 pixels in images Parametric data structure in Spectroscopy Allow flexible data presentation Temporal display of all channels Select any channel as x-axis and plot all the rest against it.

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PicoView Powerful SPM Control Software

PicoScript scripting interface for PicoView

SPM I/O and control function library DLL (dynamically linked library) for VB, LabView, and more. Labview VI Allow interface with external acquisition cards

Benefits

Empower user to customize their own application needs

No need to understand the source code structures Allows the popular LabView program to interface with PicoView
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Data Acquisition: PicoView Software

Data Types: Topography: Z height (quantitative information) Amplitude (AC AFM): rms value of the cantilevers oscillation at the set frequency (qualitative info only) Phase (AC- AFM): Phase difference between driving signal and the waveform of the tips interaction with the sample

Other types: Deflection, Current, Friction etc

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Gwyddion Imaging Software

Free powerful Imaging Software! http://gwyddion.net/ recommended by Spring 2009 AFM Lab Agilent

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Image Metrology SPIP Imaging Software

Expensive but very versatile!. Free trial. http://www.imagemet.com\ We have a license for one station at the time
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