• Applied Microscopy
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• v.51
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• pp.7.1-7.9
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• 2021

Neuromorphic systems require integrated structures with high-density memory and selector devices to avoid interference and recognition errors between neighboring memory cells. To improve the performance of a selector device, it is important to understand the characteristics of the switching process. As changes by switching cycle occur at local nanoscale areas, a high-resolution analysis method is needed to investigate this phenomenon. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to analyze the local changes because it offers nanoscale detection with high-resolution capabilities. This review introduces various types of AFM such as conductive AFM (C-AFM), electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) to study switching behaviors.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.875-881
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• 2004

Fundamental results obtained from an atomic force microscope (AFM) chemically-induced direct nano-lithography process are presented, which is regarded as a simple method for fabrication nm-scale devices such as superconducting flux flow transistors (SFFTs) and single electron tunneling transistors (SETs). Si cantilevers with Pt coating and with 30 nm thick TiO coating were used as conducting AFM tips in this study. We observed the surfaces of superconducting strip lines modified by AFM anodization' process. First, superconducting strip lines with scan size 2 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$${\times}$2 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ have been anodized by AFM technology. The surface roughness was increased with the number of AFM scanning, The roughness variation was higher in case of the AFM tip with a positive voltage than with a negative voltage in respect of the strip surface. Second, we have patterned nm-scale oxide lines on ${YBa}-2{Cu}_3{O}_{7-x}$ superconducting microstrip surfaces by AFM conductive cantilever with a negative bias voltage. The ${YBa}-2{Cu}_3{O}_{7-x}$ oxide lines could be patterned by anodization technique. This research showed that the critical characteristics of superconducting thin films were be controlled by AFM anodization process technique. The AFM technique was expected to be used as a promising anodization technique for fabrication of an SFFT with nano-channel.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.135-138
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• 2006

We studied local anodization on permalloy $(Ni_{80}Fe_{20})$ thin film with an atomic force microscope (AFM), which was performed by applying a voltage between the permalloy sample and conductive AFM tip. Comparing with anodization on Si (100) substrate, nano-structures on the permalloy thin film was fabricated with low processability.In order to improve the processability on the permalloy thin film, we used dot-fabrication method, thatis, a conductive AFM probe was kept at a position on the film during the anodization process.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.1631-1636
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• 2010

In this study, we demonstrate a nano-scale lithograph obtained on localized (100) silicon (p-type) surface using by modified AFM (Atomic force microscope) apparatuses and by adopting controlling methods. AFM-based experimental apparatuses are connected to a customized pulse generator that supplies electricity between the conductive tip and the silicon surface, while maintaining a constant humidity throughout the lithography process. The pulse durations are controlled according to various experimental conditions. The electrochemical reaction induced by the pulses occurs in the gap between the conductive tip and silicon surface and result in the formation of nanoscale oxide particles. Oxide particles with various heights and widths can be created by AFM surface modification; the size of the oxide particle depends on the pulse durations and the applied electrical conditions under a humid environment.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.261-267
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• 2024

An unconventional fabrication technique of nanoelectrode was developed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and hydrogel. Until now, the precise control of electroactive area down to a few nm² has always been an obstacle, which limits the wide application of nanoelectrodes. Here, the nanometer-sized contact between the boron-doped diamond (BDD) as conductive AFM tip and the agarose hydrogel as solid electrolyte was well governed by the feedback amplitude of oscillation in the non-contact mode of AFM. Consequently, this low-cost and feasible approach gives rise to new possibilities for the fabrication of nanoelectrodes. The electroactive area controlled by the set point of AFM was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the ferrocenmethanol (FcMeOH) combined with quasi-solid agarose hydrogel as an electrolyte. Single copper (Cu) nanoparticle was deposited at the apex of the AFM tip using this platform whose electrocatalytic activity for nitrate reduction was then investigated by CV and Field Emission-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), respectively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2010.08a
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• pp.85-85
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• 2010

Graphene, the building block of graphite, is one of the most promising materials due to their fascinating electronic transport properties. The pseudo-two-dimensional sp2 bonding in graphene layers yields one of the most effective solid lubricants. In this poster, we present the correlation between electrical and nanomechanical properties of graphene layer grown on Cu/Ni substrate with CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) method. The electrical (current and conductance) and nanomechanical (adhesion and friction) properties have been investigated by the combined apparatus of friction force microscopy/conductive probe atomic force microscopy (AFM). The experiment was carried out in a RHK AFM operating in ultrahigh vacuum using cantilevers with a conductive TiN coating. The current was measured as a function of the applied load between the AFM tip and the graphene layer. The contact area has been obtained with the continuum mechanical models. We will discuss the influence of mechanical deformation on the electrical transport mechanism on graphene layers.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.57-57
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• 2010

In this study, nano-sized phase change materials were evaluated using nanoimprint lithography and c-AFM technique. The 200nm in diameter phase change nano-pillar device of GeSbTe, AgInSbTe, InSe, GeTe, GeSb were successfully fabricated using nanoimprint lithography. And the electrical properties of the phase change nano-pillar device were evaluated using c-AFM with pulse generator and voltage source.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 1996.05a
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• pp.269-272
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• 1996

The electrochemical behavior of Ru complex and PD complex monolayer, deposited on conductive substrate by the Langmuir-Blodgett(LB) technique as monolayer and multilayer, has been studied by cyclic voltammetry. Monolayer films show stable reversible state. Atomic resolution imaging of LB highly-conductive, environmently stable organic films has been obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM) showing their closely packed structure,

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.08a
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• pp.290.1-290.1
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• 2013

The electrical characterization of Au islands on TiO2 at nanometer scale (as a Schottky nanodiode) has been studied with conductive atomic force microscopy in ultra-high vacuum. The diverse sizes of the Au islands were formed by using self-assembled patterns on n-type TiO2 semiconductor film using the Langmuir-Blodgett process. Local conductance images showing the current flowing through the TiN coated AFM probe to the surface of the Au islands on TiO2 was simultaneously obtained with topography, while a positive sample bias is applied. The boundary of the Au islands revealed a higher current flow than that of the inner Au islands in current AFM images, with the forward bias presumably due to the surface plasmon resonance. The nanoscale Schottky barrier height of the Au/TiO2 Schottky nanodiode was obtained by fitting the I-V curve to the thermionic emission equation. The local resistance of the Au/TiO2 nanodiode appeared to be higher at the larger Au islands than at the smaller islands. The results suggest that conductive atomic force microscopy can be used to reveal the I-V characterization of metal size dependence and the electrical effects of surface plasmon on a metal-semiconductor Schottky diode at nanometer scale.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.411-416
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• 2006

A new reading technology for the ultra-high density data storage device utilizing AFM technology was proposed and its experimental results were discussed in this paper. For the experiments, an about $2{\mu}m$ thick conductive polymer layer was spin-coated on the heavily doped n-type Si wafer and an about $0.1{\mu}m$ thick PMMA layer was also been spin-coated on it. After then, the $5{\times}5$ memory way was fabricated by making indents on the surface of the wafer with the heated AFM tip, and the data reading was performed by scanning the surface with the tip biased at 10 V and the measuring the current flowing out at the end of the tip. The experimental results clearly showed that the new data reading technology worked superbly. The current measured was about 0.92 pA at the cell with the indent, and it was not only below 0.31 pA at the cell without the indent, but also at the cell where the indent was erased.