AFM tip-induced ripple pattern on AIII-BV semiconductor surfaces

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 254; no. 17; pp. 5431 - 5434
• Main Authors: Such, B., Krok, F., Szymonski, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 30-06-2008; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: AFM; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electron, ion, and scanning probe microscopy; Exact sciences and technology; InSb; Materials science; Methods of nanofabrication; Nanoscale pattern formation; Physics; Scanning probe microscopy: scanning tunneling, atomic force, scanning optical, magnetic force, etc; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Wear; 62.20.Qp; AFM; 68.37.Ps; 81.40.Pq; Wear; InSb; Atomic force microscopy; Terrace; Inorganic compounds; Nanopatterning; Microscope tips; Semiconductor materials; Indium antimonides; Tip surface interactions; Ripples; AFM;Wear;InSb;62.20.Qp;68.37.Ps;81.40.Pq; Surface structure
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2008.02.067

Modification of c(8x2) InSb(0
0
1) surface induced by prolonged scanning with an atomic force microscope tip has been investigated. The experiment performed with loads of few tens of nanoNewtons resulted in creation of ripples perpendicular to the fast scan direction. It was found that terrace edges are acting as initial instabilities leading to development of the ripple pattern. As a result, information about initial surface topography is preserved in the ripple amplitude, even so the final height of the ripples and their periodicity are determined by the tip curvature.