ELECTRIC FORCE MICROSCOPY (EFM)

The Presentation : An Outline

Introduction to EFM Basic concepts Examples Principle of operation Noise Considerations Applications Performance

EFM : AN INTRODUCTION

Focuses mainly on high resolution and high sensitivity imaging of electrostatic forces EFM maps electrostatic forces across the surface of a sample. The forces are always ATTRACTIVE

These forces act between a conducting tip supported by a lever and a conducting sample.

BASIC CONCEPTS IN ELECTROSTATICS

Electrostatics involves the measurement of static or slowly varying electric fields between two conductors separated by a distance z that can be partially filled with a dielectric.

The treatment is based on a macroscopic approach although EFM can detect quantities small enough to be considered microscopic, such s small number of electrons deposited on a dielectric.

BASIC CONCEPTS IN ELECTROSTATICS

BASIC CONCEPTS IN ELECTROSTATICS

BASIC CONCEPTS IN ELECTROSTATICS

BASIC CONCEPTS IN ELECTROSTATICS

BASIC CONCEPTS IN ELECTROSTATICS

EXAMPLES

There are certain examples that apply to experimental situations encountered frequently in Electric Force Microscopy: Plane Parallel Capacitor Sphere and Plane Uniform surface charge distributed in a strip Charged circular disc

1) 2) 3) 4)

PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION

The theory of operation of EFM has been developed for systems using a bimorph driven lever, a sample driven lever and a voltage driven lever.

We can calculate the general expressions that give the change in amplitude of vibration of the lever supporting the force-sensing conducting tip in terms of the parameters of the system and analyze the SNR.

PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
1) 2)

3)
4)

The amplitude of vibration will be a function of the : Electric potentials Topography Dielectric Constant Charge across the surface of the sample This is followed by raster scan by the tip across the sample.

1) BIMORPH DRIVEN LEVER

2) SAMPLE DRIVEN LEVER

3) VOLTAGE DRIVEN LEVER

NOISE CONSIDERATIONS
The noise taken into account in lever operations is THERMAL NOISE. It has been found that the thermal noise of the lever is given by

APPLICATIONS

Modeling the force Modeling the topography Modeling the dielectric constant Modeling the charge Modeling the voltage

PERFORMANCES

Measurement of Forces Measurement of Topography Measurement of Dielectric Constant Measurement of Charge Measurement of Potential

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF EFM

AMPLITUDE AND PHASE DETECTION AND FREQUENCY MODULATION TECHNIQUES IN EFM

EFM USED FOR SURFACE IMAGING

Thank You For Your Patience