by Yongda Yan, Zhenjiang Hu, Weitao Liu and Xuesen Zhao
Abstract
The nano scratching with an oscillating Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) tip in tapping mode is called as the dynamic ploughing.
The tip is vibrated in a high frequency and scratches the surface which is similar to the conventional vibration-assistant machining process. In the present study, the dynamic ploughing technique is utilized to scratch PolymethylMethacrylate (PMMA) polymer surfaces forming nanostructures with a commercial AFM system and two kinds of cantilevers. Effects of scratching parameters of the dynamic ploughing including scratching velocity, driving amplitude, pitch and the cantilever’s elastic constant on the machined results are studied in detail. Finally nano ring structures with different radius are achieved successfully.
1-minute pitch
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In figure 1 you mention that when the scratching velocity increases to 1000 µm/s, the groove is only formed at the beginning of the tip’s trace.
Can you explain this?
Thanks for your attention on my work. I have just found your question.
The tip is vibrated at the same frequency. The modification mechanism is tapping the same location of the sample in AFM tapping mode. When the scratching velocity is too big, the vibrating tip does not modify the sample at all. Therefore, the groove should not be formed. But, the Fig. 1 shows that the groove can be formed at the beginning. I think that it is the unstablity of the AFM system with a so high scratching velocity.