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Hello,
I am trying to make anodic oxidation on Silicon. The AFM I used is Dimension Icon. The tip I used is SCM-PIT. I followed the steps on the manual ( 013-413-000). But all I got are some points, no lines. I have tried to change the tip voltage, XY velocity, etc. But it doesn't help very much. Can you give me some suggestions? This is my first time to use NanoMan.
Thanks!
fangfang
Hi Fangfang,
The way I like to write oxide lines is to image in TappingMode with a probe like the SCM-PIT or MESP and switch my feedback to Contact for the oxidation. I prefer to do this in the Path tab instead of Manual. Set the Deflection Setpoint to be slightly above the free air deflection. So, on the ICON, press the button on the LCD display (for over 6 seconds so that it stays on) so that you can see the live deflection signal, and set your Defl Setpoint in the Path tab to be slightly above this by around 0.3 volts or so (you may need to experiment with this). For instance, if the Vert Defl on the LCD says 0.2 volts, set the Defl Setpoint to 0.5. It is also good to watch the live deflection signal when it is drawing the lines to make sure everything is proceeding properly. The idea is that the cantilever will move toward the surface and deflect up enough to be in contact while drawing the lines, but will not apply more force than needed. Keeping the force low is important since the SCM-PIT probes are metal coated with a spring constant of 1-5N/m, so the coating can wear off with higher forces. Keep the Integral and Proportional gains at moderate levels for imaging, and keep the XY velocity slow so there is more dwell time for the oxidation to occur. Also, the choice of silicon is important. I find this works best on silicon which is has a decent doping level to make it more conductive. Silicon with low doping usually does not work as well. I will often use the back of an uncoated silicon cantilever substrates where it is smooth - just mount them on a metal puck with silver paint and that seems to work pretty well. I also find that a negative tip voltage seems to work better than positive, so I would try that first. Avoid really large tip voltages at first. Try -2 to -5 volts to start. Also, be patient with this. You will often find that it does not produce very nice lines the first time and you will have to changes tips, parameters, samples, etc. before you find the best settings for your experiement.
Feel free to contact me if I can be of any further help.
John
john.thornton@bruker-nano.com