Lateral Force Calibration Method Used for Calibration of Atomic Force Microscope

Abstract

Modern heterogeneous micro- and nanostructures usually integrate modules fabricated using various materials and technologies. Moreover, it has to be emphasized that the macro and micro nanoscale material parameters are not the same. For this reason it has become crucial to identify the nanomechanical properties of the materials commonly used in micro- and nanostructure technology. One of such tests is a nanowear test performed using the atomic force microscope (AFM). However, to obtain quantitative measurement results a precision calibration step is necessary. In this paper a novel approach to calibration of lateral force acting on the tip of an AFM cantilever is discussed. Presented method is based on application of known lateral force directly on the tip using a special test structure. Such an approach allows for measurements of nanowear parameters (force, displacement) with the uncertainty better than ±3%. The calibration structure designed specifically for this calibration method is also presented.