Scanning Probe Microscopy

Scanning Tunneling Microscope STM

Atomic Force Microscope AFM

HEINRICH ROHRER GERD BINNIG

“IBM” spelled in
Xenon atoms

Shared* the 1986 Nobel prize in Physics for

their invention of the scanning tunneling
microscope
HEINRICH ROHRER GERD BINNIG

“IBM” spelled in
Xenon atoms

Shared* the 1986 Nobel prize in Physics for

their invention of the scanning tunneling
microscope
* Ernst Ruska was the other winner
Electron Tunneling:
In scanning tunnneling
microscopy a small bias
voltage V is applied so
that due to the electric
field the tunneling of
electrons results in a
tunneling current I. The
height of the barrier can
roughly be
approximated by the
average workfunction of
sample and tip.
When the tip of the STM probe is sufficiently
close to the surface of the specimen (~ 1nm) a
tunneling current can become established
Ideally a STM probe tip is very pointed (1-2
atoms at the end) and has a relatively low work
function. Etched tungsten crystals are ideal and
are nearly identical to field emitters.
The tunneling current is exponentially
proportional to the distance and thus via a
feedback loop the tip can be maintained at a
constant distance from the surface by
maintaining a constant tunneling current.
If the tunneling current is kept constant the Z
position of the tip must be moved up and
down. If this movement is recorded then the
topography of the specimen can be inferred.
Alternatively if the Z position of the tip is
kept constant the tunneling current will
change as it moves across the surface. If the
changes in current are recorded the then the
topography of the specimen can be inferred.
The probe is
scanned over the
surface in a raster
pattern similar to
that of a SEM or
Confocal. Each
coordinate (X,Y, &
Z) is recorded by a
computer.
The ability to precisely position the probe of an
STM is made possible by an XYZ Piezo-
Scanner which coupled to a feedback regulator
keeps track of the tunneling current and
precisely positions the tip accordingly.
Crystals which acquire a charge when compressed,
twisted or distorted are said to be piezoelectric.
Piezoelectric ceramic materials have found use in
producing motions on the order of nanometers in the
control of STMs and other devices.
The Piezoelectric Effect:

Forces applied to a segment of material lead to the

appearance of electrical charge on the surfaces of
the segment. The specific distribution of electric
charges in the unit cell of a crystal is the source of
this phenomenon.
 Contact Modes

Contact-mode

• Interaction between tip and sample in physical contact

• Can damage sample, esp bio materials
• Forces in nano Newtons

Tapping Mode

Vibrate tip, measure freq of oscillation

Surface of Platinum
Iron corrals on Cu

Positioning of atoms for a

mass data storage system
 ~ ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE ~
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Feedback Loop

Laser

Photodiode
Piezo
Crystal
Mirror

Tip

Substrate
ThermoMicroscopes Explorer
AFM

The atomic force microscope (AFM), uses a sharp tip attached to the end of a cantilever rasters across an
area while a laser and photodiode are used to monitor the tip force on the surface. A feedback loop between
the photodiode and the piezo crystal maintains a constant force during contact mode imaging and constant
amplitude during intermittent contact mode imaging.
As with the STM
the probe tip of an
AFM must be very
small but because
there is no need to
establish a
tunneling current
one can use a
variety of materials,
not just those with a
low workfunction.
Similar to a phonograph needle the probe
is actually in contact with the specimen and
is physically moved up and down due to the
repulsion of van der Waals forces
The AFM records the position of the probe
by bouncing a laser off the back surface of
the probe and recording how the light is
deflected
By using a four
quadrant detector the
relative amount of laser
light hitting each
quadrant can be used to
determine how the tip
has been deflected as it
moves over the surface
of the specimen
AFM of Chromosome
Since an AFM relies on
contact rather than AFM derived models of
current many nuclear pore complex
nonconductive materials
can be examined
Since the contact of the tip with the
specimen can cause physical damage to the
specimen many AFMs employ a “tapping”
mode in which the probe vibrates up and
down as the sample is moved.
 ~ ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE ~
WHAT CAN WE LEARN?

Imaging direction

Elasticity

TIP

Rc Height

Friction
Width

AFM Image and manipulation of an Adenovirus.

Binding
A recent development uses an AFM to
“write” with biomolecules such as DNA
sequences. This will allow for the creation
of micro DNA chips which can be used a
wide variety of applications
There are now a number of systems that combine
an AFM with a conventional inverted microscope
so that light and surface information can be
collected from the same samples
 AFM vs. STM
In all three resolution is largely dependent on
probe size and the ability to control scanning.

STM requires a conductive specimen, AFM

does not and this can be used in air, vacuum,
or in liquids.

AFM physically contact the specimen but

STM does not.