Metal surface investigation by scanning probe microscopy

Metallic materials are widely used in the fabrication of devices and structures because of their wide range of useful physical properties, such as conductivity and formability. As the need for the fabrication of microscopic structures increases, more importance is being attached to the investigation of metal surfaces on the submicro-and nanometre scale. Scanning probe micros copy (SPM) has become an increasingly useful tool for the investigation of metallic structures owing to its ability to perform three-dimensional measurements on the nanometre scale as well as to investigate the material properties. As a result of its versatility, there are a large number of ways in which SPM can be applied to the study of metallic surfaces. This paper presents an overview of some of the more common SPM techniques used for investigations of metal surfaces.