Open AccessEnhanced Spatial Resolution Scanning Kelvin Force Microscopy Using Conductive Carbon Nanotube Tips
Author(s) -
Joseph J. Kopanski,
Paul McClure,
Vladimir Mancevski,
Erik M. Secula,
David G. Seiler,
Rajinder P. Khosla,
Dan Herr,
C. Michael Garner,
Robert McDonald,
Alain C. Diebold
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
aip conference proceedings
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Conference proceedings
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.177
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1551-7616
pISSN - 0094-243X
DOI - 10.1063/1.3251223
Subject(s) - materials science , micrometer , kelvin probe force microscope , carbon nanotube , cantilever , silicon , overlayer , nanotechnology , image resolution , scanning probe microscopy , conductive atomic force microscopy , non contact atomic force microscopy , microscopy , optoelectronics , optics , composite material , atomic force microscopy , chemistry , physics
The response of a scanning Kelvin force microscope (SKFM) was measured with conventional micromachined silicon tips coated with Au and with advanced tips terminated with a carbon nanotube (CNT). A simple model of the SKFM predicts enhanced spatial resolution of the SKFM using a CNT terminated tip because it reduces the stray capacitance components due to the tip shank and the cantilever. SKFM measurements over abrupt boundaries between Au and silicon (with a thin silicon dioxide overlayer) show this predicted enhanced spatial resolution. The CNT‐terminated tip resolves the boundary to less than a micrometer, while the conventional Au‐coated tip smears the transition between the two materials over tens of micrometers.
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