Regensburg 2010 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 66: Nanotribology I

O 66.4: Vortrag

Donnerstag, 25. März 2010, 11:15–11:30, H36

Wear-less floating contact imgaging of polymer surfaces — Armin Knoll, Hugo Rothuizen, Bernd Gotsmann, and •Urs Duerig — IBM Research GmbH - Zurich, Saeumerstrasse 4, 8803 Rueschlikon, Switzerland

An atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique is described combining two operating modes that previously were mutually exclusive: Gentle imaging of delicate surfaces requiring slow dynamic AFM techniques, and passive feedback contact mode AFM enabling ultra-fast imaging. A high frequency force modulation is used to excite resonant modes in the MHz range of a highly compliant cantilever force sensor with a spring constant of 0.1 N/m. The high order mode acts as a stiff system for modulating the tip-sample distance and a vibration amplitude of 1 nm is sufficient to overcome the adhesion interaction. The soft cantilever provides a force-controlled support for the vibrating tip enabling high-speed intermittent contact force microscopy without feedback control of the cantilever bending. Using this technique, we were able to image delicate polymer surfaces and to completely suppress the formation of ripple wear patterns that are commonly observed in contact AFM.