Development of Atomic Force Microscopy Modalities Using Dissipation Signal for Enhancing the Sensitivity of Photo-Induced Force Detection

Nanoscale imaging and spectroscopy are crucial characterization methods as semiconductor devices shrink down to a few nanometers and below. Obtaining material property and topography images with a spatial resolution on this scale is achievable on several advanced characterization tools. Here we focus on one tool in particular, the atomic force microscope (AFM). The AFM is highly versatile regarding the ability to implement many different characterization methods in ambient conditions, under vacuum, and liquid immersion conditions. Among these techniques exists spectroscopic scanning modes, such as photo-induced force microscopy (PiFM). PiFM relies on an infrared laser (IR) to excite molecular vibrations, and the resulting photo-induced dipole force is detected by the AFM. The IR laser is used to induce a near-field optical force within the tip-sample cavity on the sample surface. One AFM operating mode of relevance here is frequency modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM), which measures the frequency shift and damping of the oscillating cantilever probe (dissipation signal) to measure the tip-sample interaction. This research work focuses on enhancing the sensitivity of the photo-induced force by coupling it to the dissipation signal that arise through the phenomena induced by the aforementioned modalities. The instrumentation and implementation of this dissipation-detected photo-induced force microscopy (D-PiFM) is detailed in this thesis. The topography and spectroscopy results are discussed through comparison to known literature and traditional infrared spectroscopy measurements such as Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR).

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Physics

Grantor

Texas State University

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Ford, Mitchell T.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Miyahara, Yoichi

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Holtz, Mark
• Geerts, Wilhelmus Johannes Maria Arnoldus

• atomic force microscopy
• dissipation
• photo-induced force

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10877/18694

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/18694