Han Guoqiang, Jiang Zhuangde, Jing Weixuan, Prewett Philip D, Jiang Kyle
School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350108, PR China.
J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2011 Dec;11(12):11041-4. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2011.4032.
An atomic force microscopy image is a dilation of the specimen surface with the probe tip. Tips wear or are damaged as they are used. And AFM tip shape and position status make AFM images distorted. So it is necessary to characterize AFM tip shape and position parameters so as to reconstruct AFM images. A geometric model-based approach is presented to estimate AFM tip shape and position status by AFM images of test specimens and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of AFM tip. In this model, the AFM tip is characterized by using a dynamic cone model. The geometric relationship between AFM tip and the sample structure is revealed in linewidth and profile measurement. The method can easily calculate the tip parameters including half-cone angle, installation angle, scanning tilting angle and curvature radius, and easily estimate the position status of AFM tip when AFM tip moves on the specimen. The results of linewidth and profile measurement are amended accurately through this approach.
原子力显微镜图像是用探针尖端对样品表面的一种放大。随着使用，探针尖端会磨损或损坏。而且原子力显微镜尖端的形状和位置状态会使原子力显微镜图像失真。因此，有必要对原子力显微镜尖端的形状和位置参数进行表征，以便重建原子力显微镜图像。提出了一种基于几何模型的方法，通过测试样品的原子力显微镜图像和原子力显微镜尖端的扫描电子显微镜（SEM）图像来估计原子力显微镜尖端的形状和位置状态。在该模型中，原子力显微镜尖端采用动态圆锥模型进行表征。在线宽和轮廓测量中揭示了原子力显微镜尖端与样品结构之间的几何关系。该方法可以轻松计算包括半锥角、安装角、扫描倾斜角和曲率半径在内的尖端参数，并能在原子力显微镜尖端在样品上移动时轻松估计其位置状态。通过这种方法可以准确修正线宽和轮廓测量的结果。
