The Effect of Instrumental Uncertainties on AFM Indentation Measurements

Abstract

The accuracy and precision of the quantitative measurements made with various types of scanning probe microscopes (SPMs) can be limited by instrumentation error. The piezoelectric scanners that are utilized in SPMs control either the motion of the cantilever probe with respect to a stationary sample or the motion of the sample with respect to a stationary probe. While these scanners offer many advantageous characteristics that are critical to the performance of SPMs, they also exhibit several behaviors, e.g., hysteresis and creep, that introduce uncertainties in measurements. Also, the nonlinearities associated with the photodiode used in the optical lever detection system can detract from the accuracy of measurements