ALIGNMENT OF IN-SITU AFM IMAGES USING MICROSTRUCTURED REFERENCE POINTS

A method for the correction of both vertical and lateral drifts of in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) images is presented. The surface of a copper plate is marked with microstructured carbonaceous reference points by electron-beam-induced deposition (EBD or EBID) in the chambe r of a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Image alignment to these po ints using a numerical procedure facilitates the comparison of images recorded over periods of several hours where usually a shift due to th ermal drift is observed. The applicability of the method is demonstrat ed in a corrosion experiment. Absolute changes in height can be determ ined with reference to the carbon markings which are not affected by t he etching solution. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserve d.