QPlus: atomic force microscopy on single-crystal insulators with small oscillation amplitudes at 5 K

Autor: Bernd Uder, Markus Maier, Juergen Koeble, Konrad Winkler, Albrecht Feltz, Andreas Bettac
Rok vydání: 2009
Předmět:
Zdroj: Nanotechnology. 20:264009
ISSN: 1361-6528
0957-4484
DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/20/26/264009
Popis: Based on a proven low temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM) platform, we have integrated a QPlus sensor, which employs a quartz tuning fork for force detection in non-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM). For combined STM operation, this sensor has key advantages over conventional sensors. For quantitative force spectroscopy on insulating thin films or semiconductors, decoupling of the tunneling current and the piezo-electrically induced AFM signal is important. In addition, extremely low signals require the first amplification stage to be very close to the sensor, i.e. to be compatible with low temperatures. We present atomic resolution imaging on single-crystal NaCl(100) with oscillation amplitudes below 100 pm (peak-to-peak) and operation at higher flexural modes in constant frequency shift (df) imaging feedback. We also present atomic resolution measurements on MgO(100) and Au(111), and first evaluation measurements of the QPlus sensor in Kelvin probe microscopy on Si(111) 7 x 7.
Databáze: OpenAIRE