Observation of CdSe Colloidal Nano-Dot Films by Scanning Probe Microscopy

We observed the surface topography of CdSe colloidal nano-dot film by cyclic contact mode atomic force microscopy. The observed structure changes with cantilever oscillation amplitude, and non-uniform images with long-range corrugations are obtained with relatively large oscillation amplitude while fine structures are revealed with smaller oscillation amplitude. When the amplitude is larger and the surface is weakly ‘tapped’, the topography of the soft organic matrix of the film dominates, and when the tapping force is increased, the hard CdSe dots begin to reveal.