Development of innovative X-ray scattering and scanning probe microscopy software for materials imaging

G. Yu
University of Minnesota,
United States

Keywords: x-ray, microscopy, AFM

Summary:

X-ray diffraction is a major materials structure characterization technique at atomic resolution. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a high-resolution imaging technique that measures and maps many physicochemical aspects of materials, emphasis here being mechanical properties. We demonstrate our innovation in both techniques via developing novel X-ray imaging software and scanning probe microscopy data-cube analysis software. For X-ray diffraction, our software introduces a new approach (reciprocal space imaging) to utilize commercial laboratory X-ray diffractometers with area detectors, significantly enhancing their capabilities. Such capabilities were only possible at national synchrotron laboratories in the past. For AFM, our software establishes a framework for mapping both elastic and plastic responses to an AFM tip, as manifest in force-versus-distance (Z) data acquired over X-Y spatial grids. As a highly flexible imaging platform for 3D data reduction, the software is also well-suited for advanced spectroscopy analysis in microscopy (i.e., data cubes in general).