Instrumentation for direct, low frequency scanning capacitance microscopy, and analysis of position dependent stray capacitance

We describe instrumentation for scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM), using an atomic force microscope, that is designed to make calibrated, low frequency measurements of tip–sample capacitance and spreading resistance of thin dielectric films. We also characterize spatial variations in stray capacitance Cstray that must be understood before such measurements can be interpreted. Existing SCM circuits are generally optimized for measuring dC/dV, and not for calibrated low frequency measurements of absolute capacitance. Our circuit uses a commercially available current amplifier and low frequency (∼5 kHz) lock-in detection. This circuit adds an inverted, constant amplitude current to suppress the stray displacement current from the large (∼0.5 pF) stray capacitance Cstray between the sample and the mm-sized cantilever–probe assembly. The capacitance noise spectrum is ∼0.35 aF/Hz and is flat down to 1 Hz measurement frequency, with an integrated noise <5 aF integrated over a 1–160 Hz bandwidth. We have also used this instrumentation to identify and characterize significant (>1 fF) variations in Cstray that must be understood in order to accurately measure aF-level variations in the nm-scale tip–sample capacitance. We find that Cstray varies with lateral probe position. This is due to tilting of the probe assembly as the piezoelectric scanner tube bends during scanning. We also find that Cstray varies significantly with probe–assembly height. This causes topography related artifacts in capacitance images of rough surfaces. However, we show that stray capacitance artifacts can be mostly eliminated by properly characterizing position and height dependent variations in Cstray and subtracting them from measured capacitance data.