Elastic modulus and energy dissipation measurements with AFM on chalcogenide thin films

Contact-mode point spectroscopy and tapping-mode imaging atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques were used to measure the Young´s Modulus and tip-surface energy dissipation of amorphous chalcogenide thin films. As₂₀Se₈₀ thin film was prepared by thermal evaporation on glass substrates, and a He-Ne laser (633 nm) was used to prepare a holographic grating on the thin film. The results from both AFM measurement techniques indicate that there are significant differences between the peaks and valleys of the grating in terms of elasticity and tip-surface energy dissipation.