AFMs

The ability to control the position of a fine tip in order to scan surfaces with subatomic resolution has brought scanning probe microscopies to the forefront in surface imaging techniques. We discuss the two primary techniques, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) the interested reader is referred to comprehensive reviews [9, 17, 18]. 

Fig. VIII-1. Schematic illustration of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). (From Ref. 9.)...

Modification of an AFM to operate in a dynamic mode aids the study of soft biological materials [58]. Here a stiff cantilever is oscillated near its resonant frequency with an amplitude of about 0.5 nm forces are detected as a shift to a new frequency... 

Fig. Vni-3. (a) Atomic force microscope (AFM) and (b) transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of lead selenide particles grown under arachidic acid monolayers. (Pi Ref. 57.)...

AFM Atomic force microscopy [9, 47, 99] Force measured by cantilever deflection as probe scans the surface Surface structure... 

SFM Scanning force microscopy Another name for AFM Surface structure... 

SIAM Scanning interferometric apertureless microscopy [103b] Laser light is reflected off the substrate, and scattering between an AFM tip and sample is processed interferometrically Diffraction Surface structure... 

Friction can now be probed at the atomic scale by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) (see Section VIII-2) and the surface forces apparatus (see Section VI-4) these approaches are leading to new interpretations of friction [1,1 a,lb]. The subject of friction and its related aspects are known as tribology, the study of surfaces in relative motion, from the Greek root tribos meaning mbbing. 

After reviewing various earlier explanations for an adsorption maximum, Trogus, Schechter, and Wade [244] proposed perhaps the most satisfactory one so far (see also Ref. 243). Qualitatively, an adsorption maximum can occur if the surfactant consists of at least two species (which can be closely related) what is necessary is that species 2 (say) preferentially forms micelles (has a lower CMC) relative to species 1 and also adsorbs more strongly. The adsorbed state may also consist of aggregates or hemi-micelles, and even for a pure component the situation can be complex (see Section XI-6 for recent AFM evidence of surface micelle formation and [246] for polymeric surface micelles). Similar adsorption maxima found in adsorption of nonionic surfactants can be attributed to polydispersity in the surfactant chain lengths [247], Surface-active impuri-... 

A unique but widely studied polymeric LB system are the polyglutamates or hairy rod polymers. These polymers have a hydrophilic rod of helical polyglutamate with hydrophobic alkyl side chains. Their rigidity and amphiphilic-ity imparts order (lyotropic and thermotropic) in LB films and they take on a F-type stmcture such as that illustrated in Fig. XV-16 [182]. These LB films are useful for waveguides, photoresists, and chemical sensors. LB films of these polymers are very thermally stable, as was indicated by the lack of interdiffusion up to 414 K shown by neutron reflectivity of alternating hydrogenated and deuterated layers [183]. AFM measurements have shown that these films take on different stmctures if directly deposited onto silicon or onto LB films of cadmium arachidate [184]. 

We confine ourselves here to scanning probe microscopies (see Section VIII-2B) scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), in which successive profiles of a surface (see Fig. VIII-1) are combined to provide a contour map of a surface. It is conventional to display a map in terms of dark to light areas, in order of increasing height above the surface ordinary contour maps would be confusing to the eye. 

Fig. XVin-3. AFM image of DNA strands on mica. Lower figure image obtained in the contact mode under water. The contrast shown covers height variations in the range of 0-2 nm. Upper figure observed profile along the line A-A of the lower figure. (From S. N. Magnov and M.-H. Whangbo, Surface Analysis with STM and AFM, VCH, New Yoric, 1996.)...

STM and AFM profiles distort the shape of a particle because the side of the tip rides up on the particle. This effect can be corrected for. Consider, say, a spherical gold particle on a smooth surface. The sphere may be truncated, that is, the center may be a distance q above the surface, where q < r, the radius of the sphere. Assume the tip to be a cone of cone angle a. The observed profile in the vertical plane containing the center of the sphere will be a rounded hump of base width 2d and height h. Calculate q and r for the case where a - 32° and d and h are 275 nm and 300 nm, respectively. Note Chapter XVI, Ref. 133a. Can you show how to obtain the relevent equation ... 

The most popular of the scanning probe tecimiques are STM and atomic force microscopy (AFM). STM and AFM provide images of the outemiost layer of a surface with atomic resolution. STM measures the spatial distribution of the surface electronic density by monitoring the tiumelling of electrons either from the sample to the tip or from the tip to the sample. This provides a map of the density of filled or empty electronic states, respectively. The variations in surface electron density are generally correlated with the atomic positions. 

AFM measures the spatial distribution of the forces between an ultrafme tip and the sample. This distribution of these forces is also highly correlated with the atomic structure. STM is able to image many semiconductor and metal surfaces with atomic resolution. AFM is necessary for insulating materials, however, as electron conduction is required for STM in order to achieve tiumelling. Note that there are many modes of operation for these instruments, and many variations in use. In addition, there are other types of scaiming probe microscopies under development. 

Al-Obaidi A H R, Rigby S J, Hegarty J N M, Bell S E J and McGarvey J J 1996 Direct formation of silver and gold metal liquid-like films (MELLFS) from thiols and sols without organic solvents SERS and AFM studies ICORS 96 XVth Int. Conf on Raman Spectroscopy ed S A Asher and P B Stein (New York Wiley) pp 590-1... 

In contrast to AFM, which directly provides accurate height mfonnation in a limited range, quantitative assessment of the surface topography by SEM is possible by measuring die parallax of stereo pairs [45]. 

Figure Bl.19.16. Schematic view of the force sensor for an AFM. The essential features are a tip, shown as a rounded cone, a spring, and some device to measure the deflection of the spring. (Taken from [74], figure 6.)...

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