Microsc. Microanal. Microstruct. 5, 467-476 (1994)
DOI: 10.1051/mmm:0199400504-6046700

Electrostatic forces between a metallic tip and semiconductor surfaces

Sylvain Hudlet, Michel Saint Jean, Bernard Roulet, Jacques Berger et Claudine Guthmann

Groupe de Physique des Solides, Universités de Paris 7 et 6, CNRS UA17, T 23, 2 place Jussieu 75261 Paris, France

Abstract
The Atomic Force Microscopies used in Resonant mode is a powerful tool to measure local surface properties: for example, the quantitative analysis of the electrical forces induced by the application of an electrical tension between a conductive microscope tip and a forwards surface in front allows the determination of the tip/surface capacitance and of the local surface work function. However, this analysis needs a well adapted model for each type of surface. In this paper, we calculate, with a simple geometrical model, the tip-surface interaction between a metallic tip and a semiconducting surface and we describe its variations with the applied tension and the tip/surface distance.

PACS
0779L - Atomic force microscopes.
7330 - Surface double layers, Schottky barriers, and work functions.
7340Q - Metal-insulator-semiconductor structures (including semiconductor-to-insulator).

Key words
Atomic force microscopy -- Surface properties -- Electrical properties -- Semiconductor materials -- Electrostatics -- Forces -- Resonance -- Theoretical study -- Microscope tip -- Metrology -- Physics


© EDP Sciences 1994