L Fumagalli et al 2006 Nanotechnology 17 4581 doi:10.1088/0957-4484/17/18/009
L Fumagalli1, G Ferrari1, M Sampietro1, I Casuso2, E Martínez3, J Samitier2 and G Gomila2
Show affiliationsNanoscale capacitance imaging with attofarad resolution (~1 aF) of a nano-structured oxide thin film, using ac current sensing atomic force microscopy, is reported. Capacitance images are shown to follow the topographic profile of the oxide closely, with nanometre vertical resolution. A comparison between experimental data and theoretical models shows that the capacitance variations observed in the measurements can be mainly associated with the capacitance probed by the tip apex and not with positional changes of stray capacitance contributions. Capacitance versus distance measurements further support this conclusion. The application of this technique to the characterization of samples with non-voltage-dependent capacitance, such as very thin dielectric films, self-assembled monolayers and biological membranes, can provide new insight into the dielectric properties at the nanoscale.
68.37.Ps Atomic force microscopy (AFM)
42.30.Va Image forming and processing
81.07.-b Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization
Instrumentation and measurement
Surfaces, interfaces and thin films
Issue 18 (28 September 2006)
Received 3 April 2006, in final form 30 July 2006
Published 22 August 2006
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