Electric charging and nanostructure formation in polymeric films using combined amplitude-modulated atomic force microscopy-assisted electrostatic nanolithography and electric force microscopy

A hybrid technique, combining lithography which exploits atomic force microscope tip manipulation with modified electric force microscopy was used to study surface electric charging (deposition and evolution) of polymethyl methacryalate and polystyrene films. Upon charging the films past a threshold voltage, two distinct regimes were observed: (1) stable feature formation related to electric breakdown and mass transport resulting in stable film deformation due to the negative surface charging (negative tip bias) and (2) no stable feature formation regime attributed to viscoelastic deformation of polymer surface followed by the surface relaxation in the case of positive surface charging (positive tip bias). (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.