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. 2020 Sep 1;10(1):14411.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-71416-w.

Method of surface energy investigation by lateral AFM: application to control growth mechanism of nanostructured NiFe films

T I Zubar  1   2 , V M Fedosyuk  3 , S V Trukhanov  3   4 , D I Tishkevich  3   4 , D Michels  5 , D Lyakhov  5 , A V Trukhanov  3   4   6
Affiliations

Method of surface energy investigation by lateral AFM: application to control growth mechanism of nanostructured NiFe films

T I Zubar et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

A new method for the specific surface energy investigation based on a combination of the force spectroscopy and the method of nanofriction study using atomic force microscopy was proposed. It was shown that air humidity does not affect the results of investigation by the proposed method as opposed to the previously used methods. Therefore, the method has high accuracy and repeatability in air without use of climate chambers and liquid cells. The proposed method has a high local resolution and is suitable for investigation of the specific surface energy of individual nanograins or fixed nanoparticles. The achievements described in the paper demonstrate one of the method capabilities, which is to control the growth mechanism of thin magnetic films. The conditions for the transition of the growth mechanism of thin Ni80Fe20 films from island to layer-by-layer obtained via electrolyte deposition have been determined using the proposed method and the purpose made probes with Ni coating.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cantilever twist recording during the AFM-scanning Si (100) surface, thin Au film and nanostructured Ni80Fe20 film obtained in SP-mode (a) and schematic representation of the AFM-probe behavior during scanning (b) with an idealized graph of the twist angle (c).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Testing developed SSE determination method and comparing it with the method of AFM force spectroscopy. (a) Influence of air humidity on SSE measurement results obtained with force spectroscopy (normal separation method); (b) influence of air humidity on SSE measurement results obtained with lateral separation method; (c,d) a scheme of the influence of moisture on the probe behavior for the lateral method; (e, f) for the lateral method.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Surface microstructure and EDX-spectra of the Ni80Fe20 films obtained in DC (a), LP (b), MP (c) and SP modes (d).
Figure 4
Figure 4
AFM morphology of Ni80Fe20 thin films obtained in DC (a), LP (b), MP (c) and SP (d) modes, size of the images is 1 µm2.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Values of SSE of the Ni80Fe20 films and Au sublayer SSE measured using lateral separation method (a) and the mechanisms of the Ni80Fe20 films growth for DC, LP and MP modes, when γs > γf, by island mechanism (b) and for SP mode, when EIA-SS > EIA-FA, by layered mechanism (c). The yellow areas are a more probably place to nucleation of new grains.
Figure 6
Figure 6
AFM probe for specific surface energy investigation: (a,b) Si tip witout coatings; (c,d) nickel coated (10 nm) tip; (e) chemical composition of the apex of the Ni coated tip.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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