Artifacts in time-resolved Kelvin probe force microscopy

Sadewasser, Sascha; Nicoara, Nicoleta; Solares, Santiago D.

doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.119

Title: Artifacts in time-resolved Kelvin probe force microscopy

Journal Article · 23 April 2018 · Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3762/bjnano.9.119 · OSTI ID:1434250

Sadewasser, Sascha ^[1]; Nicoara, Nicoleta ^[2]; Solares, Santiago D. ^[3]

International Iberian Nanotechnology Lab., Braga (Portugal); The George Washington University
International Iberian Nanotechnology Lab., Braga (Portugal)
The George Washington Univ., Washington, D.C. (United States)

Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) has been used for the characterization of metals, insulators, and semiconducting materials on the nanometer scale. Especially in semiconductors, the charge dynamics are of high interest. Recently, several techniques for time-resolved measurements with time resolution down to picoseconds have been developed, many times using a modulated excitation signal, e.g. light modulation or bias modulation that induces changes in the charge carrier distribution. For fast modulation frequencies, the KPFM controller measures an average surface potential, which contains information about the involved charge carrier dynamics. Here, we show that such measurements are prone to artifacts due to frequency mixing, by performing numerical dynamics simulations of the cantilever oscillation in KPFM subjected to a bias-modulated signal. For square bias pulses, the resulting time-dependent electrostatic forces are very complex and result in intricate mixing of frequencies that may, in some cases, have a component at the detection frequency, leading to falsified KPFM measurements. Additionally, we performed fast Fourier transform (FFT) analyses that match the results of the numerical dynamics simulations. Small differences are observed that can be attributed to transients and higher-order Fourier components, as a consequence of the intricate nature of the cantilever driving forces. These results are corroborated by experimental measurements on a model system. In the experimental case, additional artifacts are observed due to constructive or destructive interference of the bias modulation with the cantilever oscillation. Also, in the case of light modulation, we demonstrate artifacts due to unwanted illumination of the photodetector of the beam deflection detection system. Lastly, guidelines for avoiding such artifacts are given.

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Research Organization:: The George Washington Univ., Washington, D.C. (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)

Contributing Organization:: International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Portugal

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0018041

OSTI ID:: 1434250

Journal Information:: Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology, Journal Name: Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology Vol. 9; ISSN 2190-4286; ISSN BJNEAH

Publisher:: Beilstein InstituteCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Force-gradient sensitive Kelvin probe force microscopy by dissipative electrostatic force modulation Miyahara, Yoichi; Grutter, Peter arXiv https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1703.00033	text	January 2017
Imaging the charge distribution within a single molecule Mohn, Fabian; Gross, Leo; Moll, Nikolaj Nature Nanotechnology, Vol. 7, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2012.20	journal	February 2012
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Minority carrier lifetime in polycrystalline silicon solar cells studied by photoassisted Kelvin probe force microscopy Takihara, Masaki; Takahashi, Takuji; Ujihara, Toru Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 93, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2957468	journal	July 2008
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The elimination of the ‘artifact’ in the electrostatic force measurement using a novel noncontact atomic force microscope/electrostatic force microscope Okamoto, Kenji; Sugawara, Yasuhiro; Morita, Seizo Applied Surface Science, Vol. 188, Issue 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1016/s0169-4332(01)00953-9	journal	March 2002
Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy by Dissipative Electrostatic Force Modulation Miyahara, Yoichi; Topple, Jessica; Schumacher, Zeno Physical Review Applied, Vol. 4, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.4.054011	journal	November 2015
Long-lived charge traps in functionalized pentacene and anthradithiophene studied by time-resolved electric force microscopy Jaquith, Michael J.; Anthony, John E.; Marohn, John A. Journal of Materials Chemistry, Vol. 19, Issue 34 https://doi.org/10.1039/b902880c	journal	January 2009
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A microscopic view of charge transport in polymer transistors Bürgi, Lukas; Richards, Tim; Chiesa, Marco Synthetic Metals, Vol. 146, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.synthmet.2004.08.009	journal	November 2004
High-resolution work function imaging of single grains of semiconductor surfaces Sadewasser, S.; Glatzel, Th.; Rusu, M. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 80, Issue 16 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1471375	journal	April 2002
Photo-Carrier Multi-Dynamical Imaging at the Nanometer Scale in Organic and Inorganic Solar Cells Fernández Garrillo, Pablo A.; Borowik, Łukasz; Caffy, Florent ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Vol. 8, Issue 45 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.6b11423	journal	November 2016
Pump-probe Kelvin-probe force microscopy: Principle of operation and resolution limits Murawski, J.; Graupner, T.; Milde, P. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 118, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4933289	journal	October 2015
Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy Sadewasser, Sascha; Glatzel, Thilo Springer Series in Surface Sciences https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-22566-6	book	January 2012
Comparing the kinetics of bias stress in organic field-effect transistors with different dielectric interfaces Ng, Tse Nga; Marohn, John A.; Chabinyc, Michael L. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 100, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2358410	journal	October 2006
New Insights on Atomic-Resolution Frequency-Modulation Kelvin-Probe Force-Microscopy Imaging of Semiconductors Sadewasser, Sascha; Jelinek, Pavel; Fang, Chung-Kai Physical Review Letters, Vol. 103, Issue 26 https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.103.266103	journal	December 2009
Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy Sadewasser, Sascha; Glatzel, Thilo Springer Series in Surface Sciences https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75687-5	book	March 2018
Minority carrier lifetime in polycrystalline silicon solar cells studied by photoassisted Kelvin probe force microscopy Takihara, Masaki; Takahashi, Takuji; Ujihara, Toru Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 93, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2957468	journal	July 2008
CuGaSe2 solar cell cross section studied by Kelvin probe force microscopy in ultrahigh vacuum Glatzel, Th.; Marrón, D. Fuertes; Schedel-Niedrig, Th. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 81, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1506205	journal	September 2002
Force-gradient sensitive Kelvin probe force microscopy by dissipative electrostatic force modulation Miyahara, Yoichi; Grutter, Peter Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 110, Issue 16 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4981937	journal	April 2017
The impact of ultra-thin titania interlayers on open circuit voltage and carrier lifetime in thin film solar cells Moerman, David; Kim, Hyungchul; Colbert, Adam E. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 108, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4944049	journal	March 2016
Kelvin probe force microscopy on III–V semiconductors: the effect of surface defects on the local work function Glatzel, Th.; Sadewasser, S.; Shikler, R. Materials Science and Engineering: B, Vol. 102, Issue 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/s0921-5107(03)00020-5	journal	September 2003
Imaging Charge Transfer State Excitations in Polymer/Fullerene Solar Cells with Time-Resolved Electrostatic Force Microscopy Cox, Phillip A.; Glaz, Micah S.; Harrison, Jeffrey S. The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, Vol. 6, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.5b01360	journal	July 2015
Measuring the Charge State of an Adatom with Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy Gross, L.; Mohn, F.; Liljeroth, P. Science, Vol. 324, Issue 5933 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1172273	journal	June 2009
High-resolution work function imaging of single grains of semiconductor surfaces Sadewasser, S.; Glatzel, Th.; Rusu, M. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 80, Issue 16 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1471375	journal	April 2002
New Insights on Atomic-Resolution Frequency-Modulation Kelvin-Probe Force-Microscopy Imaging of Semiconductors Sadewasser, Sascha; Jelinek, Pavel; Fang, Chung-Kai Physical Review Letters, Vol. 103, Issue 26 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.266103	journal	December 2009
Numerical simulations for a quantitative analysis of AFM electrostatic nanopatterning on PMMA by Kelvin force microscopy Palleau, E.; Ressier, L.; Borowik, Ł Nanotechnology, Vol. 21, Issue 22 https://doi.org/10.1088/0957-4484/21/22/225706	journal	May 2010
Probing ion transport at the nanoscale: Time-domain electrostatic force spectroscopy on glassy electrolytes Schirmeisen, A.; Taskiran, A.; Fuchs, H. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 85, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1790034	journal	September 2004
Time-resolved electrostatic force microscopy of polymer solar cells Coffey, David C.; Ginger, David S. Nature Materials, Vol. 5, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1712	journal	August 2006

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