Production and Investigation of Nanoscale Modifications on Oxide Thin-Film Surfaces Using AFM
Abstract
We have used an atomic-force microscope (AFM) to produce and investigate nanoscale modifications on WO3 and ZrO2 thin-film surfaces. Both crystalline and amorphous films grown using molecular beam epitaxy techniques were studied. We made nanoscratches in the surfaces using high-spring-constant cantilevers with diamond tips. As expected, both the width and depth of these scratches increased with applied load. Applied forces were increased through the μN range past the failure point of the film. Features in the scratches and also in the debris from the film failure allow some conclusions to be drawn in terms of the crystallinity of the film. We also created wear tracks in surfaces using silicon nitride cantilevers and tips which had a thin Cr coating. This was accomplished by applying an electrostatic voltage between the tip and sample and scanning along the same line repeatedly.
- Publication:
-
APS March Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- March 1998
- Bibcode:
- 1998APS..MAR.X2208R