Development of a scanning probe microscopy integrated atomic layer deposition system for successive monitoring of thin film growth.

A dual chamber system integrated with atomic layer deposition (ALD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) was developed for the successive monitoring of nanoparticles to thin film growth process. The samples were fabricated in the ALD chamber. A magnetic transmission rod enabled sample transferring between the ALD and the AFM test chambers without breaking the vacuum, avoiding possible surface morphology change when frequently varying the growth condition and oxidation under ambient condition. The sample transmission also avoids deposition and contamination on the AFM tip during the successive testing. The sample stage has machined a group of accurate location pinholes, ensuring the 10 m measurement consistency. As a demonstration, the platinum thin films with different thickness were fabricated by varying ALD cycles. The surface morphology was monitored successively during the deposition. Under vacuum with controlled oxygen partial pressure, the aging and sintering phenomenon of particles has been studied in the AFM testing chamber after high temperature treatment. The integrated AFM/ALD instrument is potentially a powerful system for monitoring the thin film preparation and characterization.