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Determination of Corner Positions for Calculation of Step Height of Atomic Force Microscope Images Based on ISO 5436-1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2013

Adedayo S. Adebayo ,
Zhao Xuezeng  and
Wang Weijie
Adedayo S. Adebayo*
Affiliation:
Harbin Institute of Technology, Nano-measurement and Characterization Lab, School of Mechatronics, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang, China
Zhao Xuezeng
Affiliation:
Harbin Institute of Technology, Nano-measurement and Characterization Lab, School of Mechatronics, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang, China
Wang Weijie
Affiliation:
Harbin Institute of Technology, Nano-measurement and Characterization Lab, School of Mechatronics, Harbin, 150001, Heilongjiang, China
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: dayo725@yahoo.com
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Abstract

Step height is defined as the vertical spacing between two plane-parallel planes comprising an elevation or an indentation and the substrate. In atomic force microscopy (AFM), there are many algorithms for determining feature dimensions such as step height and width. One common problem of many algorithms is the difficulty for users to accurately determine the corner positions needed to properly implement the said algorithms. A new algorithm based on ISO 5436-1 is proposed that determines the necessary corner positions along with two examples illustrating the implementation of this algorithm. We propose calling this new method the determinant method. Since the corner positions are automatically decided, feature dimensions such as step height of an AFM image are easily determined. Comparative experiments carried out to compare the step height measurement using this algorithm and the SPIP software from Image Metrology show encouraging results.

Keywords

atomic force microscopescanning probe microscopestep heighthistogram methoddeterminant methodnanometrologyimage processing
Type
Equipment and Techniques Development: Materials
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 19 , Issue 3 , June 2013 , pp. 769 - 774
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America 2013 

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