25th Annual Student Research Conference
Cantilever Dynamics in Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy
Kevin J. Satzinger
Dr. Vayujeet Gokhale, Faculty Mentor
A realistic interpretation of the measured contact potential difference (CPD) in Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is crucial in order to extract meaningful information about the sample. Central to this interpretation is how to include contributions from the macroscopic cantilever, cone, and sharp tip of a KPFM probe. Here, the validity of three models of the electrostatic interaction between a KPFM probe and a sample are tested through electrostatic simulation and compared to experiment. In contrast to previous studies that treat the cantilever as a rigid object, we also simulate KPFM with cantilevers that can bend and rotate. While all tested models overestimate the importance of the cantilever, accounting for cantilever bending provides the closest agreement between theory and experiment. We demonstrate that cantilever dynamics play a major role in the measured CPD and provide a simulation technique to explore this phenomenon.
Keywords: Atomic force microscopy, Kelvin probe force microscopy, Electrostatic simulation
Topic(s):Physics
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 205-4
Location: MG 1096
Time: 10:15