ACCE-5202: Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Introduction to Nanotechnology

Dr. Sumaya Farhana Kabir

Associate Professor
Dept. of ACCE
University of Dhaka
 Atomic force microscopy(AFM)
• Atomic force microscopy(AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy(SPM) one of the foremost tools for imaging,
measuring and manipulating matter at the nanoscale
• This is powerful because an AFM can generate images at atomic resolution with height information, with
minimum sample preparation
• Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was developed to investigate the electrically non-conductive materials, like proteins.
AFMs have an advantage in their ability to operate in vacuum, air, and in liquids.
How are force measured?
The probe is placed at the end of the cantilever ( which can be think of a spring.)
The higher the spring constant the stiffer the cantilever. The stiff cantilever won’t deflect at all. The
spring constant of cantilever is typically~0.1 to 1 N/m, so the cantilever bends and the deflection is
monitored.
The amount of force between the tip and surface is dependent upon the cantilever deflection in turn
upon spring constant.
Hooke’s law:
The force F needed to extend or compress a spring by some distance x is proportional to that
distance.
Formula: F=-kx
Instrumentation of Atomic force microscopy(AFM) is
Piezo-electric scanner can be
attached to either sample or tip
How piezo electric scanner works?
1. When sample has an elevation (less separation distance)
More repulsion forces exerted on the cantilever, piezo goes up.
2. When sample has an depression (more separation distance)
Less repulsion forces exerted on the cantilever, piezo goes
down
Feed back loop works on the error ( actual signal-set point) (A-B or C-D) in the force signal
the error is register in the feedback loop. Feedback loop converted the Error into change in voltage and
pass to the piezo-electric scanner which then control the height (Z) of the tip or the sample.
 Working Principle of Atomic force microscopy(AFM) is

An AFM creates images of the topography of a sample surface by scanning the cantilever over a region of interest.

A laser beam is used to detect cantilever deflections towards or away from the surface.

A position-sensitive photo diode (PSPD) can be used to track the cantilever deflection.

The raised and lowered features on the sample surface influence the cantilever, which is monitored by the photodiode.

An incident beam is reflected from the flat top of the cantilever to the PSPD.

Any cantilever deflection will cause slight changes in the direction of the reflected beam.

The feedback loop is used to control the height of the tip above the surface—thus maintaining constant laser position at
the set point—so the AFM can generate an accurate topographic map of the surface features.

How feedback loop is used to control the height of the tip?

The feedback loop pass the Error (change in set point) as change in voltage to the piezo scanner. The piezo scanner
moves in z direction to move the cantilever probe up and down.
The resulting z-piezo movements also provide the height information to create the surface topography.
 Forces acting between tip and sample surface
This force is a function of tip sample separation and the material properties of the tip and the sample.
• In atomic scale it is not spring-mass
system anymore. (contact force, van der
Waals force, capillary force, chemical
bonding, electrostatic force, magnetic
force, etc.) That’s why it is called atomic
force microscopy!!!
• Van der Waals force (induced dipole-
dipole interaction) is the most prominent
force.
• So when the tip approaches the surface it
can “feel” these forces and the deflection
is measured to be converted into image
information.
• At room conditions water moisture
can condense on the tip, which is a
source of capillary force. Capillary
forces are relatively big and can
cover the contributions of other
forces; therefore they have to be
avoided if possible. Van der Waals force displacement curve
 Contact Mode
Contact: The tip is in contact with the surface and deflects according to its profile.
Force: Van der Waals repulsive force acting on contact mode.
Scanning: Scanning is done in the repulsion interaction regime.
The tip is deflected depends on the acting force in between the tip and sample. The cantilever deflects under
Hooke’s law F=-kx, where K is cantilever spring constant.
Feed back loop input: The deflection of cantilever.
Feed back loop: Feed back loop is activated due to cantilever deflection,
Two types of contact mode :
❑ the constant force
❑ the constant height mode.

The constant force

In the constant force type, with the cantilever deflection held constant, the total force applied to the sample
is constant.
The deflection of the cantilever is used as input to the Feed back loop circuit that moves the scanner up and down in
z direction, responding to the topography by keeping the cantilever deflection constant.

The value of z-movement is equal to the height changes of the sample’s surface.
Constant height
feedback loop : No feed back loop is required.
At the constant height, while the forces are changing,
the cantilever deflection is measured directly and the
deflection force on the tip is used to calculate the
distance from the surface.

Since no feedback loop is required for this type of

measurement, it is appropriate for quick scans of samples with
small height differences.
2. Noncontact mode

Contact: The tip is not in contact with the surface and tip
Force: Van der Waals attraction force acting on non-contact mode.
Scanning: Scanning is done in the attraction interaction regime.
The tip is oscillated at a resonant frequency (100 to 400 Hz)
Feed back loop input: The change in resonant frequency or vibration amplitude of the cantilever.
Feed back loop: Feed back loop is activated due to change in resontant or vibration amplitude of cantilever.

In noncontact mode, The tip attached to the cantilever is hovering very close to the surface (at a distance of
approximately 5-10 nm), but never gets into contact with it, hence the name noncontact mode.
During scanning, When the tip passes over a bump in the surface, the force of attraction decreases, and the
amplitude of oscillation decreases. Conversely, when the tip passes over a depression/valley the force of
attraction increases and the amplitude increases. The oscillation amplitude of the tip is measured by the photo
detector and input to the feedback. The feedback loop then adjusts the tip-sample separation to maintain a
constant amplitude.

In this mode, the Feed back loop keeps the resonant frequency or vibration amplitude constant by sending signal
to piezo scanner to move the tip up and down.
 A major advantage of this mode is negligible friction forces, making this mode capable for measurements of
biological and polymeric samples without alteration of their surface.
The biggest drawbacks of this mode are low resolution when compared to the contact mode. Recently it was
used for characterization of single polymer chains
2. Tapping mode
Contact: The tip Tapping with the surface
Force: Van der Waals attraction force acting on tapping mode.
Scanning: Scanning is done in the attraction interaction regime.
The tip is oscillated at a higher resonant frequency than non-contact
mode
Feed back loop: Feed back loop is activated due to Error in amplitude set point.

Here the laser spot continuously travels between setpoint and actual signal
(maintain a range)

For contact and non-contact mode SET point is fixed in terms of force and
amplitude
For Tapping mode SET point is fixed in terms of reduction of amplitude.
The piezo motion causes the cantilever to oscillate with a higher
amplitude than non-contact mode (the ”free air” amplitude)
when the tip is not in contact with the surface.

The oscillating tip is then moved toward the surface until it

begins to lightly touch, or ”tap” the surface

The vertically oscillating tip alternately contacts the surface and

lifts off. As the oscillating cantilever begins to intermittently
contact the surface, the cantilever oscillation is necessarily
reduced/cut off/truncated due to energy loss and caused by
the tip contacting the surface.

When the tip passes over a bump in the surface, the cantilever has less room to oscillate. On the other hand, when a tip
passes over a depression/valley it has more room to oscillate and the amplitude is nearly the maximum free air amplitude.

So, when the tip passes over a bump, the reduction in cantilever amplitude is higher in comparison to amplitude
reduction when the tip passes over a depression/valley.

This difference in amplitude reduction is measured by the detector and send input to the feedback loop.

Thus, the feedback loop maintain a constant cantilever oscillation amplitude by sending signal to the piezo scanner.
During scanning, When the tip passes over a bump in the surface, the cantilever has less room to oscillate and
the amplitude of oscillation decreases. Conversely, when the tip passes over a depression, the cantilever has
more room to oscillate and the amplitude increases (approaching the maximum free air amplitude). The
oscillation amplitude of the tip is measured by the detector and input to the SPM controller electronics. The
feedback loop then adjusts the tip-sample separation to maintain a constant amplitude