Advanced atomic force microscopy techniques V

• Philipp Rahe,
• Ilko Bald,
• Nadine Hauptmann,
• Regina Hoffmann-Vogel,
• Harry Mönig and
• Michael Reichling

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 54–56, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.6

• precision of scanning probe microscopy experiments by introducing a software for lateral drift correction [1]. Post-data acquisition drift correction for longer series of consecutively recorded image sets can be cumbersome and extremely time consuming. Here, the authors develop an easy-to-use and robust

Design, fabrication, and characterization of kinetic-inductive force sensors for scanning probe applications

• August K. Roos,
• Ermes Scarano,
• Elisabet K. Arvidsson,
• Erik Holmgren and
• David B. Haviland

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 242–255, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.23

• (KIMEC) sensors. A force sensor designed specifically for scanning probe microscopy must have a sharp tip that is readily positioned and scanned over a surface. We operate the sensor near a mechanical resonance with a high quality factor Q for enhanced responsivity to force. The mechanical resonator is a

• with a mask consisting of a 190 nm thick layer of Cr and PMMA. After the release, we strip the PMMA and Cr layers, while taking care to not break the cantilevers. The difficulties associated with using KOH lead us to prefer the dry-etch described above in step (h). Tip deposition In scanning probe

• microscopy (SPM), the tip plays a fundamental role in the achievable lateral resolution of the image. The focused electron-beam induced deposition (FEBID) [34] technique has been adapted to fabricate tips for SPM, for example, to enhance commercial platinum–iridium alloy (Pt-Ir)-coated conductive tips [35

unDrift: A versatile software for fast offline SPM image drift correction

• Tobias Dickbreder,
• Franziska Sabath,
• Lukas Höltkemeier,
• Ralf Bechstein and
• Angelika Kühnle

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1225–1237, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.101

• Tobias Dickbreder Franziska Sabath Lukas Holtkemeier Ralf Bechstein Angelika Kuhnle Physical Chemistry I, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.14.101 Abstract Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques are widely used to study the structure and

• force microscopy; calibration; drift correction; image correlation functions; periodic structures; scanning probe microscopy; Introduction In science and technology, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques are widely used to study the structure and properties of surfaces and interfaces from the

A multi-resistance wide-range calibration sample for conductive probe atomic force microscopy measurements

• François Piquemal,
• Khaled Kaja,
• Pascal Chrétien,
• José Morán-Meza,
• Frédéric Houzé,
• Christian Ulysse and
• Abdelmounaim Harouri

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1141–1148, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.94

• resistances at the nanoscale has attracted recent attention for developing microelectronic components, memory devices, molecular electronics, and two-dimensional materials. Despite the decisive contribution of scanning probe microscopy in imaging resistance and current variations, measurements have remained

Cross-sectional Kelvin probe force microscopy on III–V epitaxial multilayer stacks: challenges and perspectives

• Mattia da Lisca,
• José Alvarez,
• James P. Connolly,
• Nicolas Vaissiere,
• Karim Mekhazni,
• Jean Decobert and
• Jean-Paul Kleider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 725–737, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.59

• measurements based on scanning probe microscopy (SPM) allow for the analysis of two-dimensional (2D) features at the surface and along a physical cross section of nanoscale semiconductor structures. Among the wide variety of SPM techniques available [3], Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is an application

• KPFM signal [15]. KPFM was performed using a scanning probe microscopy system from AIST-NT (TRIOS platform) under ambient conditions and operated in the frequency-modulated KPFM (FM-KPFM) mode using a two-pass scanning mode, where the second pass was performed at a constant distance of 10 nm from the

Molecular nanoarchitectonics: unification of nanotechnology and molecular/materials science

• Katsuhiko Ariga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 434–453, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.35

• epitaxial polymerization, controlling the length, density, bonding, and propagation direction of the molecules. Advances in surface scanning probe microscopy techniques have enabled the synthesis and analysis of unstable short-lived products by local probe synthesis as well as direct observation of

A cantilever-based, ultrahigh-vacuum, low-temperature scanning probe instrument for multidimensional scanning force microscopy

• Hao Liu,
• Zuned Ahmed,
• Sasa Vranjkovic,
• Manfred Parschau,
• Andrada-Oana Mandru and
• Hans J. Hug

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1120–1140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.95

• cantilevers is highly advantageous for AFM measurements with the highest sensitivity or for more rapid scanning, requiring larger measurement bandwidths (see Table 1). STM noise spectrum and tip–sample gap stability measurements A scanning probe microscopy tool designed for the acquisition of data with atomic

Topographic signatures and manipulations of Fe atoms, CO molecules and NaCl islands on superconducting Pb(111)

• Carl Drechsel,
• Philipp D’Astolfo,
• Jung-Ching Liu,
• Thilo Glatzel,
• Rémy Pawlak and
• Ernst Meyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1–9, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.1

• predicted as a key ingredient for quantum computing. However, not only the design of complex heterostructures is primordial for future applications but also the characterization of their electronic and structural properties at the atomic scale using the most advanced scanning probe microscopy techniques

Two dynamic modes to streamline challenging atomic force microscopy measurements

• Alexei G. Temiryazev,
• Andrey V. Krayev and
• Marina P. Temiryazeva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1226–1236, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.90

• formalized choice of the imaging parameters in these modes allows addressing a wide range of formerly challenging tasks – from scanning rough samples with high aspect ratio features to molecular resolution imaging. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; dissipation mode; scanning probe microscopy; vertical mode

Molecular assemblies on surfaces: towards physical and electronic decoupling of organic molecules

• Sabine Maier and
• Meike Stöhr

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 950–956, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.71

• layer; molecular self-assembly; scanning probe microscopy; surface science; Over the past two decades, organic molecules adsorbed on atomically defined metal surfaces have been intensively studied to obtain an in-depth understanding of their self-assembly behavior, on-surface reactivity, as well as

The role of convolutional neural networks in scanning probe microscopy: a review

• Ido Azuri,
• Irit Rosenhek-Goldian,
• Neta Regev-Rudzki,
• Georg Fantner and
• Sidney R. Cohen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 878–901, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.66

• using that association to categorize, identify, and isolate subsets of the data. Scanning probe microscopy measures multimodal surface properties, combining morphology with electronic, mechanical, and other characteristics. In this review, we focus on a subset of deep learning algorithms, that is

• , convolutional neural networks, and how it is transforming the acquisition and analysis of scanning probe data. Keywords: atomic force microscopy (AFM); deep learning; machine learning; neural networks; scanning probe microscopy (SPM); Review Introduction: traditional machine learning vs deep learning Machine

• the excitement surrounding them. In this work, after introducing some of the basic structure and functionality of NNs, we concentrate on the applications of deep learning, primarily CNN, to scanning probe microscopy (SPM). The combination of improved scanning speeds, which will enable acquisition of

Influence of electrospray deposition on C₆₀ molecular assemblies

• Antoine Hinaut,
• Sebastian Scherb,
• Sara Freund,
• Zhao Liu,
• Thilo Glatzel and
• Ernst Meyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 552–558, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.45

• the sample. Nevertheless, the contamination from solvent introduction can be reduced down to conditions compatible with high-resolution scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques [10][12]. Buckminsterfullerene C60, scheme in Figure 1b, is among the most extensively studied molecules in surface science

The nanomorphology of cell surfaces of adhered osteoblasts

• Christian Voelkner,
• Mirco Wendt,
• Regina Lange,
• Max Ulbrich,
• Martina Gruening,
• Susanne Staehlke,
• Barbara Nebe,
• Ingo Barke and
• Sylvia Speller

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 242–256, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.20

• microscopy is an option to study the membrane surface nanoscopically without dye labeling or laser light exposure. In scanning probe microscopy a nanoprobe is kept at a constant distance from the sample surface by maintaining a local interaction signal constant via a feedback loop [16]. If the interaction

• been determined [15]. In the course of adhesion-related cell processes considerable nanoscale rearrangements take place inside and on the surface of the cells. Some of them are difficult to address by optical imaging methods due to limited resolution or unduly high light exposure. Scanning probe

Mapping the local dielectric constant of a biological nanostructured system

• Wescley Walison Valeriano,
• Rodrigo Ribeiro Andrade,
• Juan Pablo Vasco,
• Angelo Malachias,
• Bernardo Ruegger Almeida Neves,
• Paulo Sergio Soares Guimarães and
• Wagner Nunes Rodrigues

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 139–150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.11

• different strategies found in nature, is astonishing [5][6]. Studies of the origin of physical colors in insects are numerous in the literature and the most commonly used tools are non-local optical reflectance, electron microscopy, and scanning probe microscopy techniques, which give support to theoretical

Mapping of integrated PIN diodes with a 3D architecture by scanning microwave impedance microscopy and dynamic spectroscopy

• Rosine Coq Germanicus,
• Peter De Wolf,
• Florent Lallemand,
• Catherine Bunel,
• Serge Bardy,
• Hugues Murray and
• Ulrike Lüders

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1764–1775, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.159

• ; integrated PIN diode; nanoprobing; scanning probe microscopy (SPM); scanning microwave impedance microscopy (sMIM); spectroscopy; Introduction In “front end of line” (FEOL) processing, the control, detection, and quantification of the effective 2D distributions of active dopants in semiconductors are

• crucial to optimize and increase the device integration. In order to map the electrical properties of microelectronic materials with a high spatial resolution, scanning probe microscopy (SPM), based on atomic force microscopy (AFM), offers several modes based on the control of electrical conduction and on

Controlling the electronic and physical coupling on dielectric thin films

• Philipp Hurdax,
• Michael Hollerer,
• Larissa Egger,
• Georg Koller,
• Xiaosheng Yang,
• Anja Haags,
• Serguei Soubatch,
• Frank Stefan Tautz,
• Mathias Richter,
• Alexander Gottwald,
• Peter Puschnig,
• Martin Sterrer and
• Michael G. Ramsey

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1492–1503, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.132

• performed [1], the concept of decoupling molecules from metal substrates with large bandgap dielectric films has become widely accepted. Although such systems have become a rich field of research, particularly in the scanning probe microscopy community, it is often forgotten that the wide bandgap insulating

Protruding hydrogen atoms as markers for the molecular orientation of a metallocene

• Linda Laflör,
• Michael Reichling and
• Philipp Rahe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1432–1438, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.127

• model (PPM) [23] calculations using CO and Xe tips. Our analysis suggest that contrast formation is governed by repulsion between the tip and the hydrogen atoms serving as markers for the molecular conformation. Experimental Scanning probe microscopy experiments were performed on CaF2(111) bulk and CaF2

Atomic defect classification of the H–Si(100) surface through multi-mode scanning probe microscopy

• Jeremiah Croshaw,
• Thomas Dienel,
• Taleana Huff and
• Robert Wolkow

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1346–1360, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.119

• dimers are formed, which run parallel along the surface. The study of Si(100) surface defects was one of the first applications of scanning probe microscopy [14]. The three observed species were identified as a missing silicon dimer, a pair of missing silicon dimers, and a missing pair of Si atoms on the

• speculated a variety of origins for this defect, including a negatively charged As dopant [58], Si-vacancy hydrogen complexes [9], and B dopants [59][60]. Crystal vacancies have previously been identified in other materials using scanning probe microscopy including Ga vacancies in GaAs [61], As vacancies in

An atomic force microscope integrated with a helium ion microscope for correlative nanoscale characterization

• Santiago H. Andany,
• Gregor Hlawacek,
• Stefan Hummel,
• Charlène Brillard,
• Mustafa Kangül and
• Georg E. Fantner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1272–1279, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.111

• integration. Keywords: atomic force microscopy (AFM); combined setup; correlative microscopy; helium ion microscopy (HIM); self-sensing cantilevers; Introduction Shortly after the invention of the atomic force microscope (AFM) in 1986 [1], efforts were made towards combining this scanning probe microscopy

Revealing the local crystallinity of single silicon core–shell nanowires using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

• Marius van den Berg,
• Ardeshir Moeinian,
• Arne Kobald,
• Yu-Ting Chen,
• Anke Horneber,
• Steffen Strehle,
• Alfred J. Meixner and
• Dai Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1147–1156, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.99

• greatly increased leading to a strong local near field confined at the tip apex. This gives rise to the enhanced sensitivity of tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). TERS combined with scanning probe microscopy (SPM) also allows for the collection of correlated topography and optical images [42][43

• observed. a) A shear-force scanning probe microscopy topography image (250 × 250 nm2) of a silicon wire edge. The white arrow indicates the range and direction along which the Raman spectra in panels c and d were recorded. b) Location of the wire indicated on the 50 × 50 µm2 optical image by a white square

Implementation of data-cube pump–probe KPFM on organic solar cells

• Benjamin Grévin,
• Olivier Bardagot and
• Renaud Demadrille

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 323–337, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.24

• programmable dual channel AWG (Keysight 33622A), which was synchronized with the scanning probe microscopy (SPM) unit by its external trigger input. The pulse sequences were programmed using the Keysight BenchLink Waveform Builder Pro software. Basically, the pulses consisted in a series of dual waveforms

Integration of sharp silicon nitride tips into high-speed SU8 cantilevers in a batch fabrication process

• Nahid Hosseini,
• Matthias Neuenschwander,
• Oliver Peric,
• Santiago H. Andany,
• Jonathan D. Adams and
• Georg E. Fantner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2357–2363, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.226

• any photo-processable polymer cantilever. Keywords: Atomic force microscopy (AFM); durability; imaging speed; polymer cantilever; silicon nitride tip; Introduction Atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers have been developed for numerous applications since the invention of scanning probe microscopy

Subsurface imaging of flexible circuits via contact resonance atomic force microscopy

• Wenting Wang,
• Chengfu Ma,
• Yuhang Chen,
• Lei Zheng,
• Huarong Liu and
• Jiaru Chu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1636–1647, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.159

• and on the other hand the resolution is quite limited. Cross-sectional approaches can provide through-depth information, yet they are intrinsically destructive and require complicated sample processing. To meet such challenges, noninvasive subsurface imaging based on scanning probe microscopy (SPM

In situ AFM visualization of Li–O₂ battery discharge products during redox cycling in an atmospherically controlled sample cell

• Kumar Virwani,
• Younes Ansari,
• Khanh Nguyen,
• Francisco José Alía Moreno-Ortiz,
• Jangwoo Kim,
• Maxwell J. Giammona,
• Ho-Cheol Kim and
• Young-Hye La

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 930–940, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.94

• deposition [3], corrosion and molecular adsorbates on a variety of surfaces [4] have also been investigated with scanning probe microscopy. In situ local probe techniques at electrical interfaces [5] use scanning probe microscopy to probe surface changes and reactions. A recent review by Yang et al. [6

• sealed AFM cell permitting in situ scanning probe microscopy observation of electrochemical processes was designed, fabricated, and operated within the controlled atmosphere of a glove box. An example Li/O2 battery system in 1 M LiNO3 in TEGDME was studied at three different water concentrations. The

Fabrication of silver nanoisland films by pulsed laser deposition for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

• Bogusław Budner,
• Mariusz Kuźma,
• Barbara Nasiłowska,
• Bartosz Bartosewicz,
• Malwina Liszewska and
• Bartłomiej J. Jankiewicz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 882–893, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.89

• probe microscopy images. The thickness of the deposited reference silver layers was measured with an atomic force microscope (AFM, NT-MDT Company) in non-contact mode. To perform AFM measurements, the silver layers were removed in random places on the sample by scratching its surface with a sharp needle

• deposited silver layers was visualized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM, Quanta 3D FEG, FEI Company). SEM images were also used for the surface analysis of the obtained silver islands. The analysis was carried out in the Gwyddion software dedicated to the processing and visualization of scanning