Application Snapshot - Advantages For Using Atomic Force Microscopes For Thin Films
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Directly Visualize Film Topography
Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) images provide extreme contrast on thin films with textures from less than 100 picometers to microns. Additionally, an AFM can scan thin film samples that are both insulating and conductive.
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Measure Surface Texture
With an AFM you can measure particle size distributions when particles are < 5 nm diameter.
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Measure Film Thickness
If there is an interface between the underlying substrate and the thin film, an AFM can measure the height of the thin film. This capability is especially useful when the region with no coating is spatially limited.
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Measure Film Electrical Properties
With modes such as Conductive AFM, Electric Force Microscopy, and Scanning Kelvin Probe Microscopy, it is possible to measure the conductivity and surface potential maps.
Example Images
Ablated Film – AFM image of a thin film created with laser ablation of silver onto a silver surface. This image is 2 X 2 microns and was measured with vibrating mode AFM.
CrAu on GaAS – This AFM image shows the partial coverage of a thin film of CrAu deposited on a GaAs substrate. The image is 50 X 50 microns and was measured in vibrating mode AFM.
Indium Tin Oxide – Direct visualization of grain structure of a thin indium tin oxide film deposited on a glass substrate. The image is 50 X 50 microns and was measured in vibrating mode
Paint – Phase mode AFM image of a water based paint coating on a smooth substrate. The structure in this image is not topographical, but is a result of regions having different hardness. The image is 2 X 2 microns.
Technical
Keywords
In the AFM instrument, a sharp probe is scanned over a surface. The motion of the probe is captured by a computer, an the line profiles are used to create a surface topogram.
These surface texture parameters were calculated from an AFM image of a thin film. The sample images size was 2 x 2 microns. An AFM can measure surface texture of films below 100 picometers.
Thin Films Topography, AFM Thin Films, Indium Tin Oxide, Surface Texture, Surface Roughness
AFMWorkshop AFM Products for Thin Films
All AFM workshop Atomic Force Microscope products measure images of thin films. However, if the roughness of the surface is < 1 nm we recommend the TT-2 AFM, HR AFM or the HR-2D AFM.
