FURI | Spring 2024

Finite Element Analysis of Atomic Force Microscopy Measurement of Heterogeneous Nodules Suspended in a Membrane with Application in the Semiconductor, Health, and Security Industries

The semiconductor industry — among others — produces products with nanoscale-level precision, and inclusions and other particles within those products affect their macro- and micro-scale material properties. To improve products, particles and the surrounding material must be examined and analyzed. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful technique that has been used to characterize such materials; however, interactions between the AFM indenter and the particles result in complex force-displacement data. The research team uses finite element analysis (FEA) to model AFM performed on particles within a membrane to better understand their material properties and deconvolute structural effects in AFM data.