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Dimensional metrology of nanometric spherical particles using AFM: I, model development

Abstract:

A model to obtain the tip dimension and the true size of a spherical particle from an image produced with an atomic force microscope (AFM) is developed and tested. A detailed description of the geometrical interaction arising from the contact of the probe with the surface of the imaged feature is presented, and a new and simple equation to calculate the true radius of any spherical feature from an AFM image is given. Using a simulated image profile of spherical particles of nanometer size numerical calculations have been carried out to reproduce the radius of both the tip and the particle. The discussion is limited to the case of spherical particles interacting with a spherical tip attached to a truncated cone that is not necessarily symmetrical.