Surface analysis

At PVcomB, an optical microscope is available for the visual evaluation of sample surfaces. Additionally, a mechanical surface profiler, a confocal laser scanning microscope and an atomic force microscope are used to gain topographical information at the appropriate length scale.

Optical microscope: Zeiss Axio Scope.A1

• bright / dark field
• 5x, 10x, 50x, and 100x objectives
• high resolution AxioCam camera

Confocal 3D Laser scanning microscope: Keyence VK-X260

• 10x , 20x , 50x , 150x objectives
• image sizes: 10x: 1350 x 1012 µm², 150x: 90 x 76 µm²
• max. height of sample: 28 mm / heigth range to measure: 7 mm
• camera resolution: up to 3072 × 2304

confocal laser scanning:

• Laser: 408 nm, 0,95 mW
• Scan resolution: up to 2048 x 1536
• repeatability heigth measurements: 20×: 40 nm, 50×: 12 nm, 150×: 12 nm
• repeatability lateral measurements: 20×: 100 nm, 50×: 40 nm, 150×: 20 nm

Stitching of 100 images via automated sample chuck (range: 10 x 10 cm²).
Superposition of laser scan image and microscopy image.

Surface Profiler: Bruker Dektak XT

• 5Å repeatability
• max. scan length 55mm
• active isolation table
• optional vaccum chuck
• Alpha-Step D-120 APEX 3D Software

Atomic force microscope: Park Systems XE70

• max. sample size 10 × 10 cm²
• max. scan area 50 × 50 µm²
• max. resolution bis 4096 × 4096 pixel  
• max. z-scan range 12 µm
• integrated optical microscope
• contact / non-contact, and electrical modi