Probing material properties at the nano-scale with atomic force microscopy

Lecturer: T. Cramer (Associate Professor, DIFA)

Duration: 12 hours in January/February

Programme:

Aim of the course is to give an introduction to experimental nano-physics. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) represents one of the most versatile experimental techniques to observe and manipulate nanoscale structures on surfaces. In the course we will use the Park-NX10 AFM present at DIFA as an example to understand the difficulties and the technical solutions when operating at length scales below the diffraction length of light. The course is structured in two lessons and two experimental classes for a total of 12 hours:

  1. Lesson (2 hours): How to control the nano-scale?
  2. Lesson (2 hours): Introduction to the Park NX10 Atomic Force Microscope
  3. Experiments: Non-contact AFM and data analysis
  4. Experiments: Electrostatic AFM and data analysis

The course is general and is based on typical knowledge in mechanics. The students will need their own computer for data analysis. Matlab and Gwyddion software (or similar) will be used for data and image analysis. The exam of the course is a written report on the data analysis.