Phase-contrast imaging in the tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) is
a powerful method in surface characterization. This method can provide fin
e details about rough surfaces, which are normally obscured in topographic
imaging. To illustrate some of the capabilities of phase-contrast imaging,
AFM studies of Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si and Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O-3 (PZT) films were carri
ed out. Phase-contrast imaging revealed fine details of their microstructur
es, including grain boundaries, triple junctions and twinning, which could
not be detected by topographic imaging. The studies showed that phase-contr
ast imaging is capable of providing superior information about surface char
acteristics when compared to the standard topographic imaging. (C) 2000 Els
evier Science B.V. All rights reserved.