研究开发适应于国际标准的SPM针尖特性表征结构

标准化是当前扫描探针显微镜领域(SPM)的一项重要工作.国际标准化组织ISO自2004年起已经将SPM标准化列入其工作框架之内,并建立了相关的分委员会、技术委员会和工作小组.本文介绍了国际上当前有关SPM标准化方面努力和主要趋势:SPM术语的标准化被认为是SPM标准化工作范围内首先需要考虑的问题,其相关标准即将发表;SPM数据管理及处理的标准化则是另一项正在进行的有利于数据访问、处理和共享的重要工作.可溯源计量型原子力显微镜(AFM)的发展解决了纳米尺度的度量问题,能够通过对标准物质进行定量分析与定标实现量值的传递.当前发展能够被计量型AFM鉴定的参考物质以及标准化仪器校正过程是实现SPM标准化之前的当务之急.为了促进SPM领域ISO标准的实现,一种新的针尖特性表征结构(tip characterizer)已经被开发出来.这种tip characterizer由超晶格组装技术实现,能够描述针尖的形状并且同时进行侧向尺度的校正.本文探讨了这种新型tip characterizer的性能.这种tip characterizer不易损坏针尖,具有很好的重复性,并能帮助实验观察分析针尖形状和结构几何特性之间的关系.

Development of Tip characterizer for ISO standards

Standardization is an important issue in scanning probe microscopy (SPM) field. SPM standardization has been done in the framework of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Recent efforts and trends on SPM standardization are surveyed here. The International System of Units (SI) traceable AFMs have been developed to extend metrology to nanometre scale and enable standard materials for dimensional analysis to be directly calibrated. Efforts on developing both certified reference materials and standardized procedures for calibrating instruments are considered as an urgent pre-standardization task. A new tip characterizer based on the fabrication of superlattice for ISO standards was developed to analyze the tip shape and be used as a lateral scale while in use. Some results about the performance of this tip characterizer have been presented here. This tip characterizer makes the experimental observation of relationship between tip shape and specimen geometry possible. This tip characterizer has good reproducibility without degrading the tip during imaging.