Detection of subsurface cavity structures using contact-resonance atomic force microscopy

To meet the surging demands for quantitative and nondestructive testing at the nanoscale in various fields, ultrasonic-based scanning probe microscopy techniques, such as contact-resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM), have attracted increased attention. Despite considerable success in subsurface nanostructure or defect imaging, the detecting capabilities of CR-AFM have not been fully explored yet. In this paper, we present an analytical model of CR-AFM for detecting subsurface cavities by adopting a circular freestanding membrane structure as an equivalent cavity. The parameters describing the detection limits of CR-AFM for such structures include the detecting depth and the detectable area. These parameters are systematically studied for different cantilever eigenmodes for structures of different sizes and depths. The results show that the detecting depth depends on the structure size. The higher eigenmodes generally provide better detecting capabilities than the lower ones. For an experimental verification, samples were prepared by covering a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) substrate with open pores at its surface with HOPG flakes. CR-AFM imaging on the HOPG-covered area was carried out using different eigenmodes in order to detect the pores in the PMMA. In addition, the influence of the applied tip load is also discussed. Published by AIP Publishing.