Dear Ayan:

I agree with most comments. included here. AFM is an powerful microscopy technique which is possible to apply to a wide range of samples. However, it can be rather difficult for the beginner user.

From a single view, I write some basic steps to get started, but you also need to read articles, books, that will allow to know, the huge range of applications offered by the AFM and overcome some of the difficulties that you can find to implement the technique.

In my experience , the first thing I would do is adjust the size of the sample , depending on the restrictions of the equipment itself . There are equipments that allow larger sample sizes than other. If your sample already meets these requirements you forget this step.

Once you cut the right piece of the sample you must attach it to a substrate. Typically steel discs of various diameters are used. There are different options for this step.You can use a double sided adhesive tape that will let you remove easily the sample when the AFM experiment is finished , or use a stronger adhesive, the idea is that the specimen is fixed to the substrate firmly enough, so it does not move or vibrate. Although this step is not what it seems, is a critical step, as the firmness and solidity in the positioning of the sample is one of the limiting factors to obtain an AFM image with good resolution.The steel discs are magnetically attached to the support of the instrument itself.

If you have never measured the sample and have no idea about the surface roughness, would choose the scanner larger as possible, allowing displacements on the Z axis as large as possible, facilitating large tip displacements, in the event that your sample was very rough.

In the scanners, the displacement in Z is (typically) less than 10% of the scale, for example the scanner 120um (x, y) would give you a pretty big movement in Z, of some units of a micron. A large scanner also allows you to make large displacements on the x and y axis, which would facilitate the analysis if the film is not homogeneous.

If you do not know if the film is sensitive "soft" or hard in advance, it would be advisable to select a mode to be "gentle with the surface", I first will use a non-contact oscillating mode (what is usually referred to as tapping mode).

After placing the sample at the microscope, follow the manufacturer's instructions for adjusting all the parameters.

When measurements start, start by obtaining images of large dimensions to evaluate to assess how homogeneous is the sample , and depending on the type of topography that you discover, you can reduce the size of images, ie analyze smaller areas, or even switch to a smaller scanner.

I leave a link of a site is designed to offer help with atomic force microscopy (AFM)

http://afmhelp.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=57

I hope this helps

actually I have thin film in glass slides

What is the estimated thickness of your thin film? Depending on how you clean your glass slide you may have a very high surface roughness which in turn will affect the topography of your film. That is if you look for imaging.

Typical substrates for imaging are HOPG, mica or Au111.

Deposition depends on the sample, substrate and what exactly the type of measurement you want to perform.

Are you interested in imaging? force measurements? Measurements are to be done in air or liquid?

Dear Ayan, as you can see from Jhony's answer in particular, there is no universal answer to your question. In order for others to be able to give you good advice, you would have to provide quite a few more details.

If doing AFM imaging is something you have in mind and if your substrates are glass slides it might be a good idea to first acquire and look at corresponding AFM data generated on glass slide substrates alone, without having the film. You could then better estimate what information you might be able to get after film formation.

a small sample holder will be provided with the AFM machine in which the sample can be cut and then stick to the sample holder ... it will be less than 1 cm2. It is some sort of plastic material

Dear Ayan:

I agree with most comments. included here. AFM is an powerful microscopy technique which is possible to apply to a wide range of samples. However, it can be rather difficult for the beginner user.

From a single view, I write some basic steps to get started, but you also need to read articles, books, that will allow to know, the huge range of applications offered by the AFM and overcome some of the difficulties that you can find to implement the technique.

In my experience , the first thing I would do is adjust the size of the sample , depending on the restrictions of the equipment itself . There are equipments that allow larger sample sizes than other. If your sample already meets these requirements you forget this step.

Once you cut the right piece of the sample you must attach it to a substrate. Typically steel discs of various diameters are used. There are different options for this step.You can use a double sided adhesive tape that will let you remove easily the sample when the AFM experiment is finished , or use a stronger adhesive, the idea is that the specimen is fixed to the substrate firmly enough, so it does not move or vibrate. Although this step is not what it seems, is a critical step, as the firmness and solidity in the positioning of the sample is one of the limiting factors to obtain an AFM image with good resolution.The steel discs are magnetically attached to the support of the instrument itself.

If you have never measured the sample and have no idea about the surface roughness, would choose the scanner larger as possible, allowing displacements on the Z axis as large as possible, facilitating large tip displacements, in the event that your sample was very rough.

In the scanners, the displacement in Z is (typically) less than 10% of the scale, for example the scanner 120um (x, y) would give you a pretty big movement in Z, of some units of a micron. A large scanner also allows you to make large displacements on the x and y axis, which would facilitate the analysis if the film is not homogeneous.

If you do not know if the film is sensitive "soft" or hard in advance, it would be advisable to select a mode to be "gentle with the surface", I first will use a non-contact oscillating mode (what is usually referred to as tapping mode).

After placing the sample at the microscope, follow the manufacturer's instructions for adjusting all the parameters.

When measurements start, start by obtaining images of large dimensions to evaluate to assess how homogeneous is the sample , and depending on the type of topography that you discover, you can reduce the size of images, ie analyze smaller areas, or even switch to a smaller scanner.

I leave a link of a site is designed to offer help with atomic force microscopy (AFM)

http://afmhelp.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=57

I hope this helps

Dear All,

I have read all the answers carefully about samples preparation. I'm having problem with deposition.  

Whenever I deposit my sample for SEM and AFM a high amount of crap is always present on the substrate which belongs to material itself so because of this i'm unable to take a clean image of SEM and I can't do further characterization technique. If any one has suggestion then please let me know.

I have posted my question here as well. But, Still i dint any response there.

Please have a look on this question .. I will be very thankful if anyone has any answer.

Thanks.

https://www.researchgate.net/post/How_to_do_successful_transfer_chemically_exfoliated_2D_materials_from_solution