Atomic force microscopy (AFM)

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was developed when people tried to extend STM
technique to investigate the electrically non-conductive materials, lik. The AFM can
be used to study a wide variety of samples (i.e. plastic, metals, glasses,
semiconductors, and biological samples such as the walls of cells and bacteria).

HOW DOES THE AFM WORK?

AFM provides a 3D profile of the surface on a nanoscale, by measuring forces

between a sharp probe (<10 nm) and surface at very short distance (0.2-10 nm
probe-sample separation).

The probe is supported on a flexible cantilever. The AFM tip “gently” touches the
surface and records the small force between the probe and the surface.
Atomic interaction at different tip-sample distances

Repulsion:

At very small tip-sample distances (a few angstroms) a very strong repulsive force
appears between the tip and sample atoms.

Its origin is the so-called exchange interactions due to the overlap of the electronic
orbitals at atomic distances. When this repulsive force is predominant, the tip and
sample are considered to be in “contact”.

Attraction (Van der Waals):

A polarization interaction between atoms: An instantaneous polarization of an atom

induces a polarization in nearby atoms – and therefore an attractive interaction.
Electromagnetic interactions between tip and sample

Electrostatic interaction:

Caused by both the localized charges and the polarization of the substrate due to
the potential difference between the tip and the sample.

It has been used to study the electrostatic properties of samples such as

microelectronic structures, charges on insulator surfaces, or ferroelectric domains.

Magnetic interaction:

Caused by magnetic dipoles both on the tip and the sample. This interaction is used
for Magnetic Force Microscopy to study magnetic domains on the sample surface.
Principles

The AFM consists of a cantilever with a sharp tip (probe) at its end that is used to scan
the specimen surface. The cantilever is typically silicon or silicon nitride with a
tip radius of curvature on the order of nanometers.

When the tip is brought into proximity of a sample surface, forces between the tip and
the sample lead to a deflection of the cantilever according to Hooke's law

Depending on the situation, forces that are measured in AFM include mechanical
contact force, van der Waals forces, capillary forces, chemical bonding, electrostatic
forces, magnetic forces), Casimir forces, solvation forces, etc.

The AFM can be operated in a number of modes, depending on the application. In

general, possible imaging modes are divided into static (also called contact) modes
and a variety of dynamic (non-contact or "tapping") modes where the cantilever is
vibrated or oscillated at a given frequency.
Instrumentation
Atomic force microscope using beam deflection detection. As the cantilever is
displaced via its interaction with the surface, so too will the reflection of the laser
beam be displaced on the surface of the photodiode.

The detector of AFM measures the deflection (displacement with respect to the
equilibrium position) of the cantilever and converts it into an electrical signal.

The intensity of this signal will be proportional to the displacement of the

cantilever
How are Forces Measured?

Plot of force as a function of probe-sample separation

 The probe is placed on the end of a cantilever (which one can think of as a spring).

The amount of force between the probe and Sample is dependent on the spring
constant (stiffness of the cantilever and the distance between the probe and the
sample surface.

This force can be described using Hooke’s Law:

F=-k·x
F = Force
k = spring constant
x = cantilever deflection

spring constant of cantilever (typically ~ 0.1-1 N/m) is less than surface, the cantilever
bends and the deflection is monitored.

his typically results in forces ranging from nN (10-9 ) to μN (10-6) in the open air
What types of forces are measured?

The dominant interactions at short probe-sample distances in the AFM are Van der
Waals (VdW) interactions.

However long-range interactions (i.e. capillary, electrostatic, magnetic) are significant

further away from the surface.

These are important in other SPM methods of analysis. During contact with the
sample, the probe predominately experiences repulsive Van der Waals forces
(contact mode). This leads to the tip deflection described previously.

As the tip moves further away from the surface attractive Van der Waals forces are
dominant (non-contact mode).
A typical force curve showing the various probe-sample interactions
The slope of the deflection (C) provides information on the hardness of a sample.

The adhesion (D) provides information on the interaction between the probe and
sample surface as the probe is trying to break free.

Direct measurements of the interactions between molecules and molecular assemblies

can be achieved by functionalizing probes with molecules of interest
WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS OF AFM?

Unlike STM or scanning electron microscopy it does not require a conductive sample.

However there are limitations in achieving atomic resolution. The physical probe
used in AFM imaging is not ideally sharp.

As a consequence, an AFM image does not reflect the true sample topography, but
rather represents the interaction of the probe with the sample surface.