Atomic Force Microscopy for Surface Analysis

This course is organized in collaboration with the European FP7 project EuroTraining.

Since the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) in 1981, a whole family of surface characterization methods (summarized as scanning probe methods, SPMs) has been developed, which all rely on the measurement of interactions between a sharp probe tip and a sample. One of the most successful choices has been the atomic force microscope (AFM) introduced in 1986 which measures the force acting between tip and sample.

Since it can be used for all types of materials and in all environments of practical interest (ambient, liquid, vacuum) the AFM is nowadays the workhorse for the analysis of sample surfaces in nano- and microtechnology. Although it is mostly used for the scanning of the sample topography with very high resolution the AFM is also well-suited to measure surface properties like friction, adhesion, and elasticity.

The course will review the background of different imaging modes like contact and dynamic mode and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. A special focus of the course is the analysis of surface properties with dynamic force spectroscopy and the measurement with colloid tips.

The course addresses an audience from industry and academia interested into the analysis of surface properties by atomic force microscopy.

• Short History of Scanning Probe Microscopy
• Basic Principles of Atomic Force Microscopy
• Image Processing
• Force Vs. Distance Curves
• Friction Force Microscopy
• Dynamic Force Microscopy (“Tapping”-Mode)
• Magnetic and Electrostatic Force Microscopy
• Nano-Lithography
• NC-AFM Technique and Additional Topics