ASD Area Selective Deposition Imaging with PiFM

PiFM works effectively with both organic and inorganic materials, as  demonstrated in a sample analyzing Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), where organic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) act as precise masks to control deposition in selected regions.

In the example below, a SAM selectively covers a metal region, allowing preferential deposition of alumina (Al₂O₃) on the exposed oxide region. PiFM imaging differentiates SiO₂, SAM, and Al₂O₃ regions at their respective IR absorption bands (1103, 1471, and 972 cm⁻¹). Silicon oxide especially displays sharp, high contrast, as seen in its chemical map. While SAM and alumina show slightly less localized distribution, contrast is still visible between areas of varying concentration.