US Patent 11175306 Atomic force microscopy apparatus, methods, and applications

Atomic force microscopy apparatus and method that enable observing charge generation transients with nanometer spatial resolution and nanosecond to picosecond time resolution, the timescale relevant for studying photo-generated charges in the world's highest efficiency photovoltaic films. The AFM apparatus includes an AFM, a light source for illumination of a sample operatively coupled to the AFM, a voltage source operatively coupled to the AFM, and a control circuitry operatively coupled to the light source and the voltage source. The AFM apparatus improves the time resolution and enables rapid acquisition of photocapacitance transients in a wide array of solar-energy-harvesting materials.