Fig. 2: Characterization of virtually atomically flat Pt-BMG sample surfaces using tapping-mode atomic force microscopy.
From: Atomic-scale homogeneous plastic flow beyond near-theoretical yield stress in a metallic glass
a Topography of a Pt-BMG sample prepared by thermoplastic forming; image size is 2 µm × 2 µm. The surface, which represents an exact mirror image of the STO surface used as a mold during the imprinting, features flat terraces separated by steps of 0.39 nm height, and the RMS roughness within the 250 nm × 250 nm box was computed to be 0.057 nm. b Phase image of the same area as in a. While step edges cause topography-induced variations in phase, its value fluctuates one minimally on terraces (e.g., by 1.06° RMS inside the box).
