Nanostructure and atomic structure of glass seen by atomic force microscopy

Abstract Differently prepared SiO2, Na2O–SiO2, and Duran borosilicate glass surfaces were imaged by atomic force microscopy (AFM), both with an air-AFM and an ultra-high vacuum-AFM. The images of both microscopes display a nanostructure of SiO2 glass with a ripple pattern and a domain pattern, respectively, with coinciding sizes of several 10 nm. These domains show clusters of ⩾1 nm in diameter, in accordance with Bruckner’s SiO2 glass model of preordered regions. Inspecting glass fracture surfaces, prepared and imaged under ultra-high vacuum conditions, reveals structural features like interatomic distances, groupings of atoms, network holes, distribution of atomic distances, percolation paths, and topological connectivities of the glass structures.