We propose a novel height drift correction method for non-raster SPM.
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Self-intersecting scans enable the distinction of drift from topographic features.
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Unlike conventional techniques our method is unsupervised and tilt-invariant.
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We introduce a fitness measure to quantify correctability for general scan paths.
Abstract
We propose a novel method to detect and correct drift in non-raster scanning probe microscopy. In conventional raster scanning drift is usually corrected by subtracting a fitted polynomial from each scan line, but sample tilt or large topographic features can result in severe artifacts. Our method uses self-intersecting scan paths to distinguish drift from topographic features. Observing the height differences when passing the same position at different times enables the reconstruction of a continuous function of drift. We show that a small number of self-intersections is adequate for automatic and reliable drift correction. Additionally, we introduce a fitness function which provides a quantitative measure of drift correctability for any arbitrary scan shape.
