The detection of buried nanopillar based on electrostatic force microscopy simulation

Based on electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), the image of nano-objects buried below the surface was numerically simulated by using COMSOL Multiphysics® software. The shape and the approximate size of the buried pillar could be obtained from the simulated EFM images. It was demonstrated that the detection of the buried nanopillar based on EFM was feasible. When the image data measured by EFM were used as the input data for comparison with the simulated data, the three unknowns (relative dielectric constant εr,p, buried depth d, and side length l) of the buried pillar could be obtained. In this paper, the simulated EFM image data were used as the input data. The accurate values of εr,p, d, and l of the buried nanopillar could be obtained by comparing the input data with the data simulated with other known parameters. The results showed that EFM was a good candidate as a kind of three dimensional nanoscale tomographic technique. It could map the physical properties of buried nanomaterials, which are relevant to modern integrated circuits.