Nanoprocessing and evaluation of carbon and boron nitride nanoperiod multilayer films by lateral force modulation method

摘要

Carbon and boron nitride nanoperiod (C/BN)(n) multilayer films were deposited by bias radio frequency (RF) sputtering. It was proposed that using the lateral modulation friction force microscopy technique (LM-FFM), a nanoprocessing removal by mechanical action was performed on the nanoperiod (C/BN),, multilayered films with electroconductive diamond tips. It was found that the amplitude and phase of the tip cantilever torsion due to friction force between the tip and the sample surface varied with an increase in loading force when the film was processed with vibration. Since the amplitude variation obtained after this processing was correlated with the frictional force of each layer, the result that the amplitude varied with an increase in the processing depth indicated the nanostructure of this multilayer film. This suggested that the LM-FFM method could perform nanoprocessing and microstructure analysis. As a result, the structure of the 2-nm-period multilayer film was experimentally confirmed to consist of the C-layer, the interface, and the BN layer by this method. Copyright (C) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.