Contact mode depth resolution

As the name suggests, this method records the crater depth by scanning a stylus over the surface of the substrate analyzed, i.e. in much the same way that contact mode AFM is carried out (AFM is covered in Appendix A. 11.4). Stylus profilometry is applied in contact mode after the removal of the sample from the SIMS instrument. Although stylus profilometry only provides a line scan, it is capable of a depth resolution precision approaching 1 nm. An example of a typical stylus profilometry scan output is portrayed along with a top-down image of the three craters measured in Figure 5.24. Note Only one crater would typically be measured at a time. 

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