Porous Alumina template with 70nm diameter pores

Large Z-Range AFM Imaging A) 55x55 µm AFM image of razor blade with 57.2 µm Z range B) 25x25 µm zoom-in AFM image around the razor blade apex C) 3D presentation shows the sharp apex with height of 50.68 µm

• Nanonics 3D Flatscan™ stage allows for a large Z- range of up to 100 µm and for up to 200 µm in the tip and sample scanning combined stages. 

• The 3D Flatscan™ structure allows for flexible mounting and scanning of samples with complicated geometries including hanging samples.

• Combined with Nanonics' Deep Trench Glass probes, Nanonics' MultiView^TM systems allow for side-wall scans.

• Large Z-range imaging is fully correlated with an optical microscope and confocal Raman microscopes through a free optical axis from top and bottom. Comprehensive structural and chemical analysis is readily provided with theMultiView^TM SPM series systems.

Ideal systems for large Z scans:

• MultiView1000^TM

• MultiView2000^TM

• MultiView4000^TM

A) AFM Topographic image of Silver Nanoparticles

B) Zoom-in AFM image of the blue square marked in A

• Silver nanoparticles formed by annealing deposited on transparent conductance oxide ITO substrate. 
  
  
  
• High accuracy of zoom-in imaging within a previous scan are obtained with all Nanonics MultiViewSPM series. %

AFM scan (53.2x53.2 µm) of textile fibers with tens of microns of Z range (29.19 µm)

2D (Left) and 3D (Right) AFM topographic images are presented above.

Nano-textile technology deals with nanometric domains (e.g. nano particle coatings) laying on micrometric fibers. Topographic imaging of such nanometric domains is challenging within the large Z topographies of the textile fibers.

The MultiView^TM SPM series efficiently addresses this challenge with its dynamic Z range. The Nanonics 3D FlatScan^TM attains a Z range of 100 µm, and can achieve even up to 200 µm in tip/sample-scanning combined modes.

Zooming AFM images (3D presentation) for locating nanometric features on micrometric textile fiber.

Integrated SEM and AFM Imaging

SEM images of a Nanonics AFM Non-obscuring Probe

Probe in contact with a sample inside the vacuum chamber of the SEM.  Magnification: 120X (top) and 1000X (bottom).  The sample is a patterned GaN sample with a line spacing of 10microns.

The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) has difficulty obtaining information on a variety of samples. One such situation is the case of a trench in a semiconductor wafer in which a SEM cannot view the bottom or the sidewall of the trench structure. Using the unique AFM capabilities of the MultiView 400™  The operator of a SEM or FIB machine can ask, on line, questions about high aspect ratio structures (eg. side wall angles and the surface structure of these sidewall in a variety of important devices with vias and other structures.

A Nanonics MultiView 4000™head inside the chamber of a SEM chamber

Imaging a deep trench such as the one opposite is impossible with standard silicon AFM tips. The Nanonics deep trench probes together with the large scan range of the 3D FlatScan™ makes these images possible for the first time.		10 x 10 micron AFM image of a 10 micron deep/2 micron wide trench (Z-range 10 micron)
The bottom of a deep trench
Nanonics deep trench probes make it possible to form images from the bottom of a deep trench of up to 1.5mm.		1 x 1 micron AFM image of the bottom of the deep trench (Z-range 100 nm)
Side wall image
Only the Nanonics 3D FlatScan™ is able to scan in the X-Z plane to image features on the side of a deep trench		5 x 5 micron X-Z scan of the sidewall of the deep trench (Y-range 150 nm)

AFM topographic image of nanometric CdSe quantum dots  dispersed on  H2 treated gold substrate 

•  Quantum dots with dimensions of few nanometers are easily imaged with 
  
  Nanonics SPM MultiView series due to the sub-Angstrom accuracy of the XYZ 3D 
  
  FlatScanTM sample stage.
  
  

•    The ultra-sensitive phase feedback of the Nanonics Integra Controller  with its 
  
  large dynamic range and its low Z noise provide a clear image of nanometric 
  
  features inspite of a relatively large topographic background.   

Ideal systems for this application:

• MultiView 1000
• MultiView 2000
• MultiView 4000
• CryoView 2000

Near-field optics can employ many different probes. One such probe is a silicon cantilever with an aperture and this probe which can be used with Nanonics Systems can be purchased from Nascatec [http://www.nascatec.com/]. 

Although all Nanonics platforms allow for the use of such a probe, these probes do not exhibit the exposed probe tip geometry of glass probes and do not emulate the guiding of light that is inherent in an optical fiber. 

A prerequisite for producing light at the tip of such silicon based NSOM apertures is the ability to bring a lens in close proximity to the back side of the probe and this is of course possible with Nanonics platforms. However, large fluences of light from the lens of the microscope are needed to illuminate the aperture. This results in a large amount of scattering and a reduction in the signal to noise. Because there is no exposed probe geometry in these probes an on-line separate illumination or collection channel with the lens of the optical microscope is not possible, since the microscope lens is dedicated to illuminate the aperture. As a result reflection imaging becomes difficult, and the lack of light guiding abilities does not permit scanning the probe such as in collection mode imaging. 

3D Representation of the Topographic Images

Figure 1: A) CCD picture of FIB Etched Trenches. B) CCD picture shows Nanonics’ AFM glass probe during AFM scan of deep trench structure shown in (A).

Figure 2:
A) AFM 3D (60x60 microns) presentation of the FIB etched feature shows a deep trench imaged with AFM Nanonics’ glass probe.
B) 2D AFM image show a line crossing the trench for line profiling.
C) Topography line profile (presented in B) showing large Z height of ~30 microns.

• The above AFM image was obtained with the MultiView 1000^TM SPM head.
• Nanonics' 3D Flat Scan^TM stage allows for unprecedented large Z scans of up to 100 microns.
• Nanonics' unique glass probes with high aspect ratios and normal force sensing allows for scanning such complicated topographies.

WSxM software has been used for image processing of the pictures above: I. Horcas et al. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 78, 013705 (2007)