A Technique for Measuring the Film Thickness of Ultrathin Metallic Thin Films, 4-20 nm, Using Atomic Force Microscopy

摘要

We describe a technique which allows for atomic force microscopy to be used to make a physical measurement of the thickness of thin film samples. When dealing with a film which is ultrathin ( < 100 nm), standard measurement techniques may become difficult to apply successfully. The technique developed involves the fabrication of a distinct, abrupt step on the film surface, using a device we call the Abruptor. This step can be scanned with an atomic force microscope, revealing the height of the step. Films from 6-15 nm are now routinely measured in this way, though it is possible to apply this measurement technique to thinner and thicker films. The thinnest film we measured was 3.6 nm.