High potential sensitivity in heterodyne amplitude-modulation Kelvin probe force microscopy

2012 ◽  
Vol 100 (22) ◽  
pp. 223104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Sugawara ◽  
Lili Kou ◽  
Zongmin Ma ◽  
Takeshi Kamijo ◽  
Yoshitaka Naitoh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Amplitude Modulation ◽  
High Potential ◽  
Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy ◽  
Kelvin Probe ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Potential Sensitivity

scholarly journals Open-loop amplitude-modulation Kelvin probe force microscopy operated in single-pass PeakForce tapping mode

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 1115-1126
Author(s):  
Gheorghe Stan ◽  
Pradeep Namboodiri
Keyword(s):  
Amplitude Modulation ◽  
Contact Potential Difference ◽  
Open Loop ◽  
Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy ◽  
Potential Difference ◽  
Kelvin Probe ◽  
Contact Potential ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Single Pass ◽  
Afm Probe

The open-loop (OL) variant of Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) provides access to the voltage response of the electrostatic interaction between a conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe and the investigated sample. The measured response can be analyzed a posteriori, modeled, and interpreted to include various contributions from the probe geometry and imaged features of the sample. In contrast to this, the currently implemented closed-loop (CL) variants of KPFM, either amplitude-modulation (AM) or frequency-modulation (FM), solely report on their final product in terms of the tip–sample contact potential difference. In ambient atmosphere, both CL AM-KPFM and CL FM-KPFM work at their best during the lift part of a two-pass scanning mode to avoid the direct contact with the surface of the sample. In this work, a new OL AM-KPFM mode was implemented in the single-pass scan of the PeakForce Tapping (PFT) mode. The topographical and electrical components were combined in a single pass by applying the electrical modulation only in between the PFT tip–sample contacts, when the AFM probe separates from the sample. In this way, any contact and tunneling discharges are avoided and, yet, the location of the measured electrical tip–sample interaction is directly affixed to the topography rendered by the mechanical PFT modulation at each tap. Furthermore, because the detailed response of the cantilever to the bias stimulation was recorded, it was possible to analyze and separate an average contribution of the cantilever to the determined local contact potential difference between the AFM probe and the imaged sample. The removal of this unwanted contribution greatly improved the accuracy of the AM-KPFM measurements to the level of the FM-KPFM counterpart.

On the Origin of Extended Resolution in Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy with a Worn Tip Apex

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey Y. Luchkin ◽  
Keith J. Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Electrostatic Force ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force Microscopy Probe ◽  
Kelvin Probe ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Potential Sensitivity

AbstractIn this work we analyzed the effect of the atomic force microscopy probe tip apex shape on Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM) potential sensitivity and spatial resolution. It was found that modification of the apex shape from spherical to planar upon thinning of the conductive coating leads to enhanced apex contribution to the total electrostatic force between the probe and the sample. The effect results in extended potential sensitivity and spatial resolution of KPFM. Experimental results were supported by calculations.

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