Scanning Acoustic Force Microscopy Research Articles

A microscopic view on acoustomigration

Stress-induced material transport in surface acoustic wave devices, so-called acoustomigration, is a prominent failure mechanism, especially in high-power applications. We used scanning probe microscopy techniques to study acoustomigration of metal structures in-situ, i.e., during the high-power loading of the device. Scanning acoustic force microscopy (SAFM) allows for the simultaneous measurement of the acoustic wavefield and the topography with submicron lateral resolution. High-resolution microscopy is essential as acoustomigration is a phenomenon that not only results in the formation of more macroscopic voids and hillocks but also affects the microscopic grain structure of the film. We present acoustic wavefield and topographic image sequences giving a clear insight into the nature of the film damage on a submicron scale. The 900 MHz test structures were fabricated on 36 degrees YX-lithium tantalate (YX-LiTaO3) and incorporated 420-nm thick aluminium (Al) electrodes. By correlating the acoustic wavefield mapping and the local changes in topography, we confirmed model calculations that predict the correspondence of damage and stress (i.e., hillocks and voids) are preferentially formed in areas of high stress. The way the film is damaged does not significantly depend on the applied power (for typical power levels used in this study). Furthermore, acoustomigration leads to smoother surfaces via lateral grain growth. Another contribution to the grain dynamics comes from the apparent grain rotation in the highly anisotropic stress field of an acoustic wave. Thus, through in-situ scanning probe microscopy techniques, one can observe the initial changes of the grain structure in order to obtain a more detailed picture of the phenomenon of acoustomigration.

Scanning acoustic force microscopy characterization of thermal expansion effects on the electromechanical properties of film bulk acoustic resonators

This letter demonstrates the application of scanning acoustic force microscopy for the characterization of film bulk acoustic resonators beyond detection of the gigahertz vibration amplitude and acoustic wave field imaging. We present a method to measure thermal expansion effects on these resonators by modulating the driving signal amplitude and then varying the modulation frequency from a few hertz to several tens of kilohertz. For the particular device considered here, we show the influence of thermal expansion effects on its electromechanical response and the acoustic wave field images. The thermal relaxation time constant of the resonator is measured and compared with a theoretical estimation based on the heat transfer analysis of the system.

High-resolution imaging of a single circular surface acoustic wave source: Effects of crystal anisotropy

We present an experimental method for the high-resolution imaging of the excitation and propagation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) on anisotropic piezoelectric substrates. By employing a scanning acoustic force microscope (SAFM), we are able to image acoustic waves that are excitable by a single circular electrode pair source through the mixing with well-defined reference plane waves. We show amplitude and phase images of the point-source wave field, containing the angular dependence of the phase velocity of these modes, as well as their electromechanical coupling strength. The SAFM allows easy access to acoustic material properties, which are important for the design of commercial SAW devices.

Investigation of crossed SAW fields by scanning acoustic force microscopy.

We used multimode scanning acoustic force microscopy (SAFM) for studying noncollinearly propagating Rayleigh and Love wave fields. By analyzing torsion and bending movement of SAFM cantilever, normal and in-plane wave oscillation components are accessible. The SAFM principle is the down-conversion of surface oscillations into cantilever vibrations caused by the nonlinearity of the tip-sample interaction. Through mixing of complementary oscillation components, phase velocities of crossed Rayleigh waves on GaAs and crossed Rayleigh and Love waves on the layered system SiO2/ST-cut quartz were obtained simultaneously. Now, it is possible to investigate elastic properties of submicron areas through multimode SAFM measurements. Finally, we present mixing experiments of four SAWs on GaAs and discuss the various influences on the measured SAFM amplitude and phase contrast.

AFM observation of surface acoustic waves emitted from single symmetric SAW transducers.

We report the first experimental observation of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) launched from a single symmetric SAW transducer, employing scanning acoustic force microscopy (SAFM). SAFM is a simple technique for the imaging of complex interdigital transducer (IDT) radiation patterns with nanometer lateral resolution. We demonstrate submicron lateral resolution and high sensitivity by investigating a single excitation element on a weakly coupling substrate (GaAs), visualizing the launched wave and second-order effects.

Influence of surface acoustic waves on lateral forces in scanning force microscopies

We present a detailed study of the influence of ultrasonic surface acoustic waves (SAWs) on point-contact friction. Lateral force microscopy (LFM) and multimode scanning acoustic force microscopy (SAFM) were used to measure and to distinguish between the influence of in-plane and vertical surface oscillation components on the cantilever’s torsion and bending. The experiments show that friction can locally be suppressed by Rayleigh-type SAWs. Through the mapping of crossed standing wave fields, the wave amplitude dependence of the friction is visualized within microscopic areas without changing other experimental conditions. Above a certain wave amplitude threshold, friction vanishes completely. We found that the friction reduction effect is caused by the vertical oscillation components of the SAW. Purely in-plane polarized Love waves do not give rise to a significant friction reduction effect. Thus, we conclude that the mechanical diode effect, i.e., the effective shift of the cantilever off of the oscillating surface, is responsible for the SAW-induced lubrication. This explanation is supported by vertical and lateral SAFM measurements: in areas with completely vanishing friction, low frequency vertical cantilever oscillations are still observable, whereas lateral (torsional) cantilever oscillations are no longer excited. Additionally, at very high Rayleigh wave amplitudes an effect of lateral force rectification was observed. It results in a scan direction-independent appearance of the LFM traces.

Reflection and mode conversion of surface acoustic waves studied by scanning acoustic force microscopy

We present measurements of the reflection and mode conversion of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) by scanning acoustic force microscopy (SAFM). The SAFM offers a unique combination of high lateral resolution and high sensitivity towards acoustic modes of all polarizations. Since a SAW mixing experiment of two waves can be performed even if the amplitude difference between both waves is 40 dB, wavefields of extremely small amplitudes can be investigated. Using SAFM, the reflection of SAWs from a metallic wedge is investigated with submicron lateral resolution. We are able to identify two reflected wave modes, a Love and a non-coupling Rayleigh mode, by measuring their phase velocities.

High-resolution imaging of surface acoustic wave scattering

We examine the scattering of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) by single dots, periodic and locally damped two-dimensional dot lattices. Employing the scanning acoustic force microscope, SAW fields are imaged with nanometer resolution. We study the influence of a roughly wavelength-sized single dot on SAW diffraction. In order to distinguish between forward- and backscattered components, we insonify the dot with the pump and probe beam under 0° and 90°. We furthermore analyze the SAW diffraction by a regular dot array. The wave field appears to be localized around the dots. Adding surface distortions, the regular SAW localization pattern brakes down in the vicinity of the distortion.

Characterizing mechanical resonators by means of a scanning acoustic force microscope

A method of characterizing resonators is presented. This method is based on scanning acoustic force microscopy. Data on the topography and the vibration amplitude of the resonator are obtained simultaneously, by means of atomic force interaction. The normal component of the surface vibration of the resonator is evaluated. A tuning fork resonator and a 10 MHz SC-cut Boı̂tier à Vieillissement Amélioré quartz crystal resonator with adherent electrodes are studied. This analysis allows the cartography of the local characteristics of the resonator material to be made.

Simultaneous bimodal surface acoustic-wave velocity measurement by scanning acoustic force microscopy

We present scanning acoustic force microscopy (SAFM) mixing experiments of differently polarized surface acoustic waves (SAW) with noncollinear propagation directions. The phase velocities of the SAWs are measured at a submicron lateral scale, employing a multimode SAFM that is capable of detecting the wave’s normal and in-plane oscillation components. Hereby, the down conversion of the surface oscillations into cantilever vibrations due to the nonlinearity of the tip–sample interaction is utilized. The simultaneous determination of the phase velocities within a microscopic sample area is demonstrated for the mixing of Rayleigh and Love waves on the layered system SiO2/ST-cut quartz.

Influence of ultrasonic surface acoustic waves. on local friction studied by lateral force microscopy

We studied dynamic friction phenomena introduced by ultrasonic surface acoustic waves using a scanning force microscope in the lateral force mode and a scanning acoustic force microscope. An effect of friction reduction was found when applying surface acoustic waves to the micro-mechanical tip-sample contact. Employing standing acoustic wave fields, the wave amplitude dependent friction variation can be visualized within a microscopic area. At higher wave amplitudes, a regime was found where friction vanishes completely. This behavior is explained by the mechanical diode effect, where the tip’s rest position is shifted away from the surface in response to ultrasonic waves.

Investigation of single surface acoustic wave sources

The first experimental investigation of a single gap surface acoustic wave (SAW) source on GaAs is reported. Using scanning acoustic force microscopy, SAWs are measured with sub-wavelength resolution and an unmatched sensitivity. Phase and amplitude images reveal the radiation characteristics of a single gap source, allowing for a deeper insight into SAW device operation and future design improvements.

Spatially resolved measurement of transverse surface acoustic waves for the investigation of elastic properties

This paper reports new developments in the field of spatially resolved surface acoustic wave (SAW) analysis. With scanning acoustic force microscopy (SAFM) the investigation of SAW phenomena with lateral resolution of the scanning force microscope became possible. This technique was limited to SAW modes with an out-of-plane oscillation component. Recently, we demonstrated that purely in-plane polarized SAWs can also be investigated by using a non-linear coupling to the cantilever's torsional movement. Now it is possible to measure the SAW phase velocity dispersion for any given SAW polarization. We used SAFM for investigation of the layered system SiO2 on ST-cut quartz. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Acoustic wave field imaging and measurement by scanning probe methods

Acoustic waves are widely utilized for the investigation of elastic properties of solids and layered systems. However, since the spatial resolution is limited due to Abbe’s criteria, small structures can not be investigated by elastic waves using conventional techniques. These limitations can be overcome by applying scanning probe methods. A scanning acoustic force microscope (SAFM) and a scanning acoustic tunneling microscope (SATM) for the measurement of high-frequency surface acoustic waves were developed. The methods are based on the mixing at the nonlinearities of the tip-to-sample interactions. The amplitude and phase of the surface oscillation can be imaged with a lateral resolution in the nanometer range. The phase velocities of surface acoustic wave for propagation distances as small as 20 nm were measured. By using the SATM the surface oscillation was measured on the atomic scale. The SAFM was applied for the investigation of high-frequency interdigital transducers up to some GHz. Scattering and dispersion of elastic waves were studied. Recently, it has been shown that in-plane polarized surface acoustic waves can be detected by using a scanning acoustic probe technique. The phase velocity of Love waves in quartz-layered systems was determined.

Investigation of thin film shear modulus from spatially resolved measurement of Love wave velocity

The investigation of transversely polarized surface acoustic waves (SAWs) is strongly hindered by their missing out-of-plane oscillation component because commonly applied measurement techniques are based on access to that component. Nevertheless, these waves are very interesting for accurate extraction of thin film elastic properties as well as for SAW devices and sensor applications. In this contribution we report a new development of spatially resolved SAW analysis. The scanning acoustic force microscope (SAFM) has been extended in its sensitivity to in-plane polarized waves. A nonlinear mechanism could be found that couples the in-plane surface oscillations to torsional cantilever vibrations. This mechanism is used to transfer the rf SAW signals to kHz frequencies and to measure the SAW phase velocity. The new technique has been applied to study the Love wave propagation in the layered system fused silica on ST-cut quartz. The phase velocity could be derived from measurements of the phase shift along a propagation distance in the micron range. The obtained velocities show a clear spatial variation at elastic changes within the investigated surface. This is used to investigate the shear modulus of the layer material by numerically solving the inverse problem of SAW propagation.

Transverse surface acoustic wave detection by scanning acoustic force microscopy

We present a scanning acoustic force microscope (SAFM) for the study of surface acoustic wave (SAW) phenomena on the submicron lateral scale. Until now, SAWs with in-plane oscillation components could only be studied effectively via nonvanishing out-of-plane oscillation contributions. By operating the microscope in lateral force mode, where both bending and torsion of the cantilever are detected, additional amplitude-dependent signals are found, which are due to the interaction with purely in-plane polarized surface oscillations. To demonstrate the capabilities of this type of SAFM, Love waves were studied on the surface of layers deposited on ST-cut quartz with SAW propagation perpendicular to the crystal X-axis. The phase velocity of the wave as well as the amplitude of a standing wave field was measured and compared to calculated values.

Nanoscale determination of phase velocity by scanning acoustic force microscopy

We measured the phase velocity of surface acoustic waves (SAW's) with a scanning acoustic force microscope (SAFM) and achieved a maximum lateral resolution of 19.9 nm. The phase measurement of high-frequency waves with a slowly responding SAFM cantilever was perfomed by frequency mixing at its nonlinear force curve. For Au layers of different thicknesses the SAW dispersion was studied on a lateral scale of 200 nm and compared to calculated data.

Scanning Acoustic Force Microscope Investigations of Surface Acoustic Waves

We report on the investigation of surface acoustic wave (SAW) fields by scanning acoustic force microscopy (SAFM), reaching submicron lateral resolution. The SAFM is based on a standard atomic force microscope and utilizes the non-linear force curve in the sense of a mechanical diode. The surface oscillation therefore leads to a shift of the cantilever's rest position. With SAFM we investigated SAW transducers operating at frequencies above 600 MHz. We measured the dynamic behaviour of the wave pattern within the transducers when sweeping the frequency and found a local influence of mass loading on the standing SAW amplitude. Furthermore, the first images of SAW diffraction and scattering are shown.© 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Scanning Acoustic Force Microscope Investigations of Surface Acoustic Waves

Scanning Acoustic Force Microscope Investigations of Surface Acoustic Waves

High resolution visualization of acoustic wave fields within surface acoustic wave devices

We present the submicron visualization of surface acoustic wave (SAW) fields within interdigital transducers (IDTs) obtained by a scanning acoustic force microscope. Utilizing the nonlinear force curve of the tip-to-surface interaction, a periodic deflection of the cantilever appears when the SAWs are excited intermittently. This deflection depends on the amplitude of the surface oscillation and was measured by lock-in technique. SAWs with operating frequencies above 600 MHz were detected. The influence of the mass loading on the local oscillation amplitude was studied for various layer thicknesses of the IDT electrodes.