Premium
Three‐Dimensional Atomic Force Microscopy – Taking Surface Imaging to the Next Level
Author(s) -
Baykara Mehmet Z.,
Schwendemann Todd C.,
Altman Eric I.,
Schwarz Udo D.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.200903909
Subject(s) - nanotribology , atomic force microscopy , nanotechnology , materials science , nanometrology , conductive atomic force microscopy , kelvin probe force microscope , scanning tunneling microscope , microscopy , physics , optics
Materials properties are ultimately determined by the nature of the interactions between the atoms that form the material. On surfaces, the site‐specific spatial distribution of force and energy fields governs the phenomena encountered. This article reviews recent progress in the development of a measurement mode called three‐dimensional atomic force microscopy (3D‐AFM) that allows the dense, three‐dimensional mapping of these surface fields with atomic resolution. Based on noncontact atomic force microscopy, 3D‐AFM is able to provide more detailed information on surface properties than ever before, thanks to the simultaneous multi‐channel acquisition of complementary spatial data such as local energy dissipation and tunneling currents. By illustrating the results of experiments performed on graphite and pentacene, we explain how 3D‐AFM data acquisition works, what challenges have to be addressed in its realization, and what type of data can be extracted from the experiments. Finally, a multitude of potential applications are discussed, with special emphasis on chemical imaging, heterogeneous catalysis, and nanotribology.