Geometrical modelling of scanning probe microscopes and characterization of errors

Scanning probe microscopes (SPMs) allow quantitative evaluation of surface topography with ultra-high resolution, as a result of accurate actuation combined with the sharpness of tips. SPMs measure sequentially, by scanning surfaces in a raster fashion: topography maps commonly consist of data sets ideally reported in an orthonormal rectilinear Cartesian coordinate system. However, due to scanning errors and measurement distortions, the measurement process is far from the ideal Cartesian condition. The paper addresses geometrical modelling of the scanning system dynamics, presenting a mathematical model which describes the surface metric x-, y- and z- coordinates as a function of the measured x'-, y'- and z'-coordinates respectively. The complete mathematical model provides a relevant contribution to characterization and calibration, and ultimately to traceability, of SPMs, when applied for quantitative characterization.

[1]  Enrico Savio,et al.  Use of cylindrical artefacts for AFM vertical calibration , 2007 .

[2]  P. A. Arutyunov,et al.  Artifacts in Atomic Force Microscopy , 2001 .

[3]  Thorsten Dziomba,et al.  Neural network approximation of tip-abrasion effects in AFM imaging , 2008 .

[4]  Thorsten Dziomba,et al.  A landmark-based 3D calibration strategy for SPM , 2007 .

[5]  William D. Brown,et al.  Artifacts in SPM measurements of thin films and coatings , 1995 .

[6]  M. Sutton,et al.  Drift and spatial distortion elimination in atomic force microscopy images by the digital image correlation technique , 2008 .

[7]  Francesco Marinello,et al.  Atomic Force Microscopy in nanometrology: modeling and enhancement of the instrument , 2007 .

[8]  Andrzej Sikora,et al.  Correction of structure width measurements performed with a combined shear-force/tunnelling microscope , 2007 .

[9]  Enrico Savio,et al.  Feature-oriented measurement strategy in atomic force microscopy , 2007 .

[10]  Enrico Savio,et al.  Fast technique for AFM vertical drift compensation , 2007 .

[11]  D. Gweon,et al.  A new nano-accuracy AFM system for minimizing Abbe errors and the evaluation of its measuring uncertainty. , 2007, Ultramicroscopy.

[12]  Sitian Gao,et al.  An atomic force microscope head designed for nanometrology , 2007 .

[13]  H.-U. Danzebrink,et al.  Advances in Scanning Force Microscopy for Dimensional Metrology , 2006 .

[14]  Rostislav V. Lapshin,et al.  Automatic drift elimination in probe microscope images based on techniques of counter-scanning and topography feature recognition , 2007 .

[15]  Michael T. Postek,et al.  Experimental test of blind tip reconstruction for scanning probe microscopy , 2000 .

[16]  J. F. Jorgensen,et al.  Lateral metrology using scanning probe microscopes, 2D pitch standards and image processing , 1998 .