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AFM Staircase Calibration

Published by National Institute of Standards and Technology | Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: October 02, 2026 at 07:54 PM | Dataset Last Updated: January 05, 2026
The Python code has been uploaded to the NIST GitHub repository. This data set is associated with the repository https://github.com/usnistgov/AFM-Staircase. AFM-Staircase is a Python script to quickly and easily verify the z-piezo calibration of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) using a regular staircase profile, such as that found on a stepped surface like Silicon Carbide (SiC). The script requires input files consisting of Trace and Retrace topography images that cover a specific area containing terraces aligned with the y-axis of the scan. The main steps of the calibration algorithm are detailed within the script as comments. Essentially, the raw AFM Trace and Retrace height images are processed by flattening and rotating them to reveal the true staircase topography of the imaged surface. The step heights between the observed terraces are then used to construct a series of reference heights that assess the accuracy of the z-piezo calibration. These heights range from the smallest step height of 0.756 nanometers for a SiC surface, extending to several tens of nanometers, all represented as multiples of the smallest step height.

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Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel public
bureauCode 
[
  "006:55"
]
contactPoint 
{
  "fn": "Gheorghe Stan",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:gheorghe.stan@nist.gov"
}
description The Python code has been uploaded to the NIST GitHub repository. This data set is associated with the repository https://github.com/usnistgov/AFM-Staircase. AFM-Staircase is a Python script to quickly and easily verify the z-piezo calibration of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) using a regular staircase profile, such as that found on a stepped surface like Silicon Carbide (SiC). The script requires input files consisting of Trace and Retrace topography images that cover a specific area containing terraces aligned with the y-axis of the scan. The main steps of the calibration algorithm are detailed within the script as comments. Essentially, the raw AFM Trace and Retrace height images are processed by flattening and rotating them to reveal the true staircase topography of the imaged surface. The step heights between the observed terraces are then used to construct a series of reference heights that assess the accuracy of the z-piezo calibration. These heights range from the smallest step height of 0.756 nanometers for a SiC surface, extending to several tens of nanometers, all represented as multiples of the smallest step height.
distribution 
[
  {
    "title": "GitHub repository for AFM Staircase Calibration",
    "accessURL": "https://github.com/usnistgov/AFM-Staircase",
    "description": "This is the GitHub repository for the Python code for the AFM Staircase Calibration procedure"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "image/png",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/Figure1.png"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "image/png",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/Figure2.png"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "image/png",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/Figure3.png"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "image/png",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/Figure4.png"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "text/plain",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/README_AFM_Staircase_Calibration.txt"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "text/plain",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/SiC_A_0005_Retrace.txt"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "text/plain",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/SiC_A_0005_Trace.txt"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "text/plain",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/SiC_B_0013_Retrace.txt"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "text/plain",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/SiC_B_0013_Trace.txt"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "application/octet-stream",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/SiC_Staircase_Calibration.py"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "text/plain",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/crossing_points_indices.txt"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "text/plain",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/crossing_points_indices_saved_A_0005.txt"
  },
  {
    "mediaType": "text/plain",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.nist.gov/od/ds/mds2-4056/crossing_points_indices_saved_B_0013.txt"
  }
]
identifier ark:/88434/mds2-4056
issued 2026-01-15
keyword 
[
  "AFM",
  "SiC",
  "step height",
  "stepped surfaces",
  "sub-nanometer range calibration",
  "z-piezo calibration"
]
landingPage https://data.nist.gov/od/id/mds2-4056
language 
[
  "en"
]
license https://www.nist.gov/open/license
modified 2026-01-05 00:00:00
programCode 
[
  "006:045"
]
publisher 
{
  "name": "National Institute of Standards and Technology",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
theme 
[
  "Electronics:Semiconductors",
  "Manufacturing:Quality assurance",
  "Materials:Materials characterization",
  "Materials:Modeling and computational material science",
  "Mathematics and Statistics:Image and signal processing",
  "Mathematics and Statistics:Modeling and simulation research",
  "Mathematics and Statistics:Numerical methods and software",
  "Mathematics and Statistics:Statistical analysis",
  "Mathematics and Statistics:Uncertainty quantification",
  "Metrology:Dimensional metrology",
  "Metrology:Metric",
  "Nanotechnology:Nanoelectronics",
  "Nanotechnology:Nanofabrication/manufacturing",
  "Nanotechnology:Nanomaterials",
  "Nanotechnology:Nanomechanics",
  "Nanotechnology:Nanometrology",
  "Physics:Condensed matter",
  "Standards:Calibration Services",
  "Standards:Documentary standards",
  "Standards:Reference materials"
]
title AFM Staircase Calibration

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