Ease of Use

Significantly simplifying the AFM operation

Automation

Easier, faster, and more precise AFM imaging

Accuracy

Enhanced accuracy of AFM measurements

• Flexure-based design providing superior flat and orthogonal scan
• Closed-loop scanner allowing highly linear and accurate imaging
• Low sensor noise yielding high-resolution and high-quality results
• Tip evaluation capability ensuring probe quality and artifact-free images

Flat Scan

Conventional AFM with a piezoelectric tube scanner requires data flattening or leveling because of its intrinsic curved motion. However, this flattening may distort a sample’ s micro-surface structure, including its Z value. The newly developed AFM5500M is equipped with a flexure-based scanner that enables well-controlled raster scans along X and Y directions only. As a result, this advanced scanner design can effectively eliminate background curvatures in a wide scan area and improve the accuracy of AFM measurements.

Sample ：Amorphous silicon thin film on a silicon substrate

High Orthogonality

Using a conventional piezoelectric tube scanner can cause cross-talk when bending the tube scanner.
This cross-talk leads to distortions and asymmetrization. The improved AFM5500M’s scanner reduces cross-talk making both accurate and symmetric measurements possible.

Sample : Textured-structure solar battery(having symmetrical structure due to its crystal orientation.)

• * AFM5100N (with an open-loop scanner)

Correlation

Correlative AFM and SEM Imaging

The Hitachi-proprietary SEM/AFM shared alignment holder provides quick and easy measurements and analysis of topography, structures, composition, and surface property.

The ovrlay images createed by using AZblend Ver.2.1, ASTRON Inc.

AFM and SEM Measurements of the Same Area (Sample:Graphene/SiO2)

Overlay images of SEM, AFM (topography), and KFM (surface potential)

• It can be concluded from AFM cross-session height measurements that those contrast differences in the SEM image are corresponding to the variation of graphene layers in the AFM image.
• It indicates that surface potential (work function) of graphene sheets is highly dependent on the sample thickness, i.e., the number of graphene layers.
• High-precision 3D topographic data in conjunction with the electrical property examination provide strong evidence for identifying the root cause of captured variations in SEM contrasts.

Hitachi High-Tech Science will continue to develop AFM-correlated systems with other types of microscopes and inspection equipment.

Video

See more on Hitachi’s website

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