Quantitative comparison of closed-loop and dual harmonic Kelvin probe force microscopy techniques

Jason I. Kilpatrick; Liam Collins; Stefan A.L. Weber; Brian J. Rodriguez

doi:10.1063/1.5025432

Quantitative comparison of closed-loop and dual harmonic Kelvin probe force microscopy techniques

Jason I. Kilpatrick, Liam Collins, Stefan A.L. Weber, Brian J. Rodriguez

Functional Atomic Force Microscopy Group

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is a widely used technique to map surface potentials at the nanometer scale. In traditional KPFM, a feedback loop regulates the DC bias applied between a sharp conductive probe and a sample to nullify the electrostatic force (closed-loop operation). In comparison, open-loop techniques such as dual harmonic KPFM (DH-KPFM) are simpler to implement, are less sensitive to artefacts, offer the unique ability to probe voltage sensitive materials, and operate in liquid environments. Here, we directly compare the two techniques in terms of their bandwidth and sensitivity to instrumentation artefacts. Furthermore, we introduce a new correction for traditional KPFM termed "setpoint correction," which allows us to obtain agreement between open and closed-loop techniques within 1%. Quantitative validation of DH-KPFM may lead to a wider adoption of open-loop KPFM techniques by the scanning probe community.

Original language	English
Article number	123708
Journal	Review of Scientific Instruments
Volume	89
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5025432
State	Published - Dec 1 2018

Funding

This publication has emanated from research conducted with financial support from UCD Research, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and Science Foundation, Ireland (07/IN1/B931, 12/IA/1449, 14/IFB/2711, 14/US/I3113, 15/IFB/3570, 17/CDA/4637). A portion of this research was conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. The authors are grateful to S. P. Jarvis for insightful discussions. This manuscript has been authored by UT -Battelle, LLC under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes. The Department of Energy will provide public access to these results of federally sponsored research in accordance with the DOE Public AccessPlan (http://energy.gov/downloads/doe-public-access-plan).

Funders	Funder number
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and Science Foundation, Ireland	17/CDA/4637, DE-AC05-00OR22725, 14/IFB/2711, 12/IA/1449, 15/IFB/3570, 07/IN1/B931, 14/US/I3113
UCD Research
U.S. Department of Energy

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Cite this

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abstract = "Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is a widely used technique to map surface potentials at the nanometer scale. In traditional KPFM, a feedback loop regulates the DC bias applied between a sharp conductive probe and a sample to nullify the electrostatic force (closed-loop operation). In comparison, open-loop techniques such as dual harmonic KPFM (DH-KPFM) are simpler to implement, are less sensitive to artefacts, offer the unique ability to probe voltage sensitive materials, and operate in liquid environments. Here, we directly compare the two techniques in terms of their bandwidth and sensitivity to instrumentation artefacts. Furthermore, we introduce a new correction for traditional KPFM termed {"}setpoint correction,{"} which allows us to obtain agreement between open and closed-loop techniques within 1%. Quantitative validation of DH-KPFM may lead to a wider adoption of open-loop KPFM techniques by the scanning probe community.",

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Quantitative comparison of closed-loop and dual harmonic Kelvin probe force microscopy techniques

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