Scratch properties of nickel thin films using atomic force microscopy

Experiments using atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a machining tool for scratching patterns on nickel thin films have been conducted with an emphasis on establishing the material scratchability or more general, the nanoscale machinability. The effects of the scratch parameters, including the applied tip force and scratch direction, on the size of the scratched geometry were investigated. The primary factors that measure the scratchability were then assessed. The scratchability of Ni as compared to that of Si was specifically evaluated and discussed. A stress-hardness analysis was also performed to further validate the experimental and correlation results. All results indicate that the Ni thin film possesses excellent scratchability and one order of magnitude higher than that of Si. Based on the correlation formula developed, Ni should be able to be precisely scratched by AFM tip with the required dimension and nanoscale accuracy and precision.