scholarly journals Automated Measurement and Analysis of Sidewall Roughness (SWR) Using 3D-AFM

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su-Been Yoo ◽  
Seong-Hun Yun ◽  
Ah-Jin Jo ◽  
Jun-Ho Lee ◽  
Sang-Joon Cho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Semiconductor Device ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Wafer Level ◽  
Sidewall Roughness ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Device Architecture ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Relative Standard ◽  
Measurement And Analysis ◽  
3D Metrology

Abstract As the semiconductor device architecture develops, from planar field-effect transistor (FET) to FinFET and toward gate all around (GAA), it is more needed to measure 3D structure sidewall precisely. Here, we present a 3D-atomic force microscopy (3D-AFM) by Park Systems Corp., a powerful 3D metrology tool to measure SWR of vertical and undercut structures. First, we measured 3 different dies repeatedly to calculate reproducibility in die level. Reproducible results were derived with relative standard deviation under 2%. Second, we measured 13 different dies, including the center and edge of the wafer, to analyze SWR distribution in wafer level and reliable results were measured. And all analysis was performed using a novel algorithm including auto flattening, sidewall detection, and SWR calculation. In addition, SWR automatic analysis software was implemented to reduce analysis time and to provide standard analysis. The result suggests that our 3D-AFM based on tilted Z scanner enabled an advanced methodology for automated 3D measurement and analysis.

scholarly journals Influence of Growth Temperature of the Nucleation Layer on the Growth of InP on Si (001)

Coatings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 823
Author(s):  
Shizheng Yang ◽  
Hongliang Lv ◽  
Likun Ai ◽  
Fangkun Tian ◽  
Silu Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Temperature ◽  
Wafer Level ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Nucleation Layer ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Gas Source ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Growth Method ◽  
Step Growth ◽  
Microscopy Images

InP layers grown on Si (001) were achieved by the two-step growth method using gas source molecular beam epitaxy. The effects of growth temperature of nucleation layer on InP/Si epitaxial growth were investigated systematically. Cross-section morphology, surface morphology and crystal quality were characterized by scanning electron microscope images, atomic force microscopy images, high-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD), rocking curves and reciprocal space maps. The InP/Si interface and surface became smoother and the XRD peak intensity was stronger with the nucleation layer grown at 350 °C. The Results show that the growth temperature of InP nucleation layer can significantly affect the growth process of InP film, and the optimal temperature of InP nucleation layer is required to realize a high-quality wafer-level InP layers on Si (001).

scholarly journals Heated-Tip AFM: Applications in Nanocomposite Polymer Membranes and Energetic Materials

2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-25
Author(s):  
Jason P. Killgore ◽  
William King ◽  
Kevin Kjoller ◽  
René M. Overney
Keyword(s):  
Data Storage ◽  
Energetic Materials ◽  
Measurement Capability ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Nanocomposite Polymer ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Measurement And Analysis ◽  
Nanoscale Topography ◽  
Temperature Controlled

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a key technique for the measurement and analysis of samples when nanoscale topography is of interest. It offers a number of complementary probing modes that extend an AFM's measurement capability to a wide range of material and transport properties of surfaces, including hardness, friction, conductivity and adhesion among others. Sample temperature controlled AFM extends the study of surface morphology and properties to include changes in the material phases.Recently, silicon microfabricated AFM cantilevers that have integrated heaters, as shown in figure 1, have become commercially available. These cantilevers were initially developed for probe based data storage by researchers at IBM Zurich, Figure 1. With the availability of these cantilevers, AFM measurements can be performed where the tip is heated as opposed to the sample.

scholarly journals Reconstruction of Three-Dimensional Conformations of Bacterial ClpB from High-Speed Atomic-Force-Microscopy Images

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhaskar Dasgupta ◽  
Osamu Miyashita ◽  
Takayuki Uchihashi ◽  
Florence Tama
Keyword(s):  
Atomic Force Microscopy ◽  
Computational Modeling ◽  
High Speed ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Computational Method ◽  
Molecular Surface ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force

ClpB belongs to the cellular disaggretase machinery involved in rescuing misfolded or aggregated proteins during heat or other cellular shocks. The function of this protein relies on the interconversion between different conformations in its native condition. A recent high-speed-atomic-force-microscopy (HS-AFM) experiment on ClpB from Thermus thermophilus shows four predominant conformational classes, namely, open, closed, spiral, and half-spiral. Analyses of AFM images provide only partial structural information regarding the molecular surface, and thus computational modeling of three-dimensional (3D) structures of these conformations should help interpret dynamical events related to ClpB functions. In this study, we reconstruct 3D models of ClpB from HS-AFM images in different conformational classes. We have applied our recently developed computational method based on a low-resolution representation of 3D structure using a Gaussian mixture model, combined with a Monte-Carlo sampling algorithm to optimize the agreement with target AFM images. After conformational sampling, we obtained models that reflect conformational variety embedded within the AFM images. From these reconstructed 3D models, we described, in terms of relative domain arrangement, the different types of ClpB oligomeric conformations observed by HS-AFM experiments. In particular, we highlighted the slippage of the monomeric components around the seam. This study demonstrates that such details of information, necessary for annotating the different conformational states involved in the ClpB function, can be obtained by combining HS-AFM images, even with limited resolution, and computational modeling.

scholarly journals Chained structure of dimeric F1-like ATPase in Mycoplasma mobile gliding machinery

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuma Toyonaga ◽  
Takayuki Kato ◽  
Akihiko Kawamoto ◽  
Noriyuki Kodera ◽  
Tasuku Hamaguchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Atp Hydrolysis ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Gliding Motility ◽  
Force Transmission ◽  
Animal Cells ◽  
Α Subunit ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Internal Structures

Mycoplasma mobile, a fish pathogen, exhibits gliding motility using ATP hydrolysis on solid surfaces, including animal cells. The gliding machinery can be divided into surface and internal structures. Interestingly, the internal structure of the probable gliding motor has 28 protein chains, each of which has 17 particles composed of homologs of the catalytic α- and β-subunits of F1-ATPase. In this study, we isolated chain particles and determined their structures using negative-staining electron microscopy and high-speed atomic force microscopy. The isolated chain particles were composed of five proteins, MMOBs 1660 (α-subunit homolog), 1670 (β-subunit homolog), 1630, 1620, and 4530, and showed ATP hydrolyzing activity. The 2D structure, with dimensions of 35 and 26 nm, showed a hexameric ring dimer about 12 nm in diameter, resembling F1-ATPase catalytic (αβ)3. We isolated the F1-like ATPase unit, which is composed of MMOBs 1660, 1670, and 1630. Furthermore, we isolated the complex in chain form and analyzed the 3D structure, showing that dimers of mushroom-like structures resembling F1-ATPase were connected and aligned along the dimer axis at 31 nm intervals. An atomic model of F1-ATPase catalytic (αβ)3 from Bacillus PS3 was successfully fitted to each hexameric ring of the mushroom-like structure. These results suggest that the motor for M. mobile gliding shares an evolutionary origin with F1-ATPase. Based on the obtained structure, we propose possible force transmission processes in the gliding mechanism.

ToF-SIMS Study of Polymer Nanocomposites.

2000 ◽  
Vol 661 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir S. Zaitsev ◽  
Young-Soo Seo ◽  
Kwanwoo Shin ◽  
Wenhua Zhang ◽  
Steven A. Schwarz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Correction Method ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Poly Ethylene ◽  
2D Data ◽  
Secondary Ion ◽  
Pmma Blends

ABSTRACTFilms of deuterated polystyrene (dPS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blends, as well as dPS and PMMA and poly(ethylene-co-propylene) (PEP) blends have been spin-cast from toluene solution and annealed at temperatures above their glass transition temperatures for up to 72 hours. Surface topography of the cast and annealed films was measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Dynamic secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was used to study microphase segregation of the polymer films. A series of two-dimensional (2D) images of the films were acquired during sample sputtering. A reconstruction of the sample three-dimensional (3D) structure from 2D data was performed. Spatial distributions of H, D, C, O, and higher mass fragments revealed microphases with dimensions on the order of a few microns. We describe the method that corrects height distortion to 3D SIMS images. After sputtering, AFM is used to produce a topographic image of the area analyzed by SIMS. The surface height variation array from SIMS data was compared with that observed by AFM. A limitation of the correction method is discussed.

scholarly journals Statistical Analysis of Nanofiber Mat AFM Images by Gray-Scale-Resolved Hurst Exponent Distributions

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 2436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz Blachowicz ◽  
Krzysztof Domino ◽  
Michał Koruszowic ◽  
Jacek Grzybowski ◽  
Tobias Böhm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Hurst Exponent ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Mathematical Methods ◽  
Gray Scale ◽  
Force Microscopy ◽  
Atomic Force ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Nanofiber Mats ◽  
Processing Steps

Two-dimensional structures, either periodic or random, can be classified by diverse mathematical methods. Quantitative descriptions of such surfaces, however, are scarce since bijective definitions must be found to measure unique dependency between described structures and the chosen quantitative parameters. To solve this problem, we use statistical analysis of periodic fibrous structures by Hurst exponent distributions. Although such a Hurst exponent approach was suggested some years ago, the quantitative analysis of atomic force microscopy (AFM) images of nanofiber mats in such a way was described only recently. In this paper, we discuss the influence of typical AFM image post-processing steps on the gray-scale-resolved Hurst exponent distribution. Examples of these steps are polynomial background subtraction, aligning rows, deleting horizontal errors and sharpening. Our results show that while characteristic features of these false-color images may be shifted in terms of gray-channel and Hurst exponent, they can still be used to identify AFM images and, in the next step, to quantitatively describe AFM images of nanofibrous surfaces. Such a gray-channel approach can be regarded as a simple way to include some information about the 3D structure of the image.

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