Synthesis and electroplating of high resolution insulated carbon nanotube scanning probes for imaging in liquid solutions

High resolution and isolated scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is in demand for continued development of energy storage and conversion systems involving chemical reactions at the nanoscale as well as an improved understanding of biological systems. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have large aspect ratios and, if leveraged properly, can be used to develop high resolution SPM probes. Isolation of SPM probes can be achieved by depositing a dielectric film and selectively etching at the apex of the probe. In this paper the fabrication of a high resolution and isolated SPM tip is demonstrated using electron beam induced etching of a dielectric film deposited onto an SPM tip with an attached CNT at the apex.     

PMDA-ODA型聚酰亚胺制备工艺与聚集态结构的研究进展

综述了PMDA-ODA型聚酰亚胺的制备工艺,并阐述了酰亚胺化工艺对聚酰亚胺聚集态结构的影响。     

Developments and perspectives of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) on organic materials systems

In this paper recent developments in scanning probe microscopy ( SPM ) on organic materials are reviewed with selected examples. Presented subjects include instrumentation and particularities in connection with SPM imaging on soft organic materials. Exemplary cases of structure-properties investigations with SPM in organic materials science including amorphous polymers, polymer crystal growth effects, interface structure and stability, spinodal decomposition effects, copolymer and liquid crystal (LC) nanophase separation, LC phase transitions on a molecular scale, molecular manipulation as well as structure and properties of other organic materials are presented. Naturally, this paper cannot review all papers published about SPM on organic materials. Rather, main principles and problems as well as the strategy of probe microscopy on organic materials is elucidated with selected examples. SPM is shown to be an effective and forceful organic materials analytic tool for the materials scientist.     

基于SPM的花生酸LB膜的拉膜工艺及结构表征的研究

通过扫描探针显微镜（SPM）直接观察沉积在基片表面的花生酸LB（Langmuir-Blodgett）薄膜不同范围尺度下的微观结构.研究在经过表面两亲性（亲水性或疏水性）处理的基片上,在相同的制膜条件下,改变其拉膜沉积方式,对花生酸LB膜样品的表面结构、薄膜均匀性和缺陷等的影响.结果显示,花生酸LB膜在不同拉膜沉积方式下,薄膜表面将形成不同的分子自组装形态;改变基片表面的亲水性强弱也直接影响LB膜的表面形貌的均匀性,可能通过选择恰当表面处理和沉积方式来获得平整度更高,缺陷更少的LB膜.     

Molecular layer deposition of an organic-based magnetic semiconducting laminate

Organic-based magnets are intriguing materials with unique magnetic and electronic properties that can be tailored by chemical methodology. By using molecular layer deposition (MLD), we demonstrate the thin film fabrication of V[TCNE: tetracyanoethylene](x), of the first known room temperature organic-based magnet. The resulting films exhibit improvement in surface morphology, larger coercivity (80 Oe), and higher Curie temperature/thermal stability (up to 400 K). Recently, the MLD method has been widely studied to implement fine control of organic film growth for various applications. This work broadens its application to magnetic and charge transfer materials and opens new opportunities for metal-organic hybrid material development and their applications in various multilayer film device structures. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of the multilayer V[TCNE](x) as a spin injector combining LSMO, an standard inorganic magnetic semiconductor, for spintronics applications.     

Scanning probe microscope lithography at the micro- and nano-scales

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM)-based lithography at the micro- and nano-scales is presented. Our method in SPM local oxidation involves two SPM tips, one having a robust blunt tip, a "micrometer tip," and the other having a sharp tip, a "nanometer tip." In tapping-mode SPM local oxidation experiments, Si oxide wires with sub-10 nm resolution were produced by precisely tuning the dynamic properties of the nanometer tip such as drive amplitude and quality factor. On the other hand, in order to perform large-scale oxidation, SPM tip with a contact area of microm2, which is about 10(4) times larger than that of the conventional nanometer tip, was prepared. We propose and demonstrate a method of performing micrometer-scale SPM local oxidation using the micrometer tip under contact-mode operation. The width of the Si oxide produced was clearly determined by the contact length of the tip. Furthermore, we explore the possibility of performing the sub-20 nm lithography of Si surfaces using SPM scratching with a diamond-coated tip. The influence of various scan parameters on the groove size was investigated. The groove size could be precisely controlled by the applied force, scan direction, and the number of scan cycles. There is no effect of the scan speed on the groove size. It is concluded that high-speed nanolithography can be achieved without the degradation of patterns by SPM scratching. SPM-based lithography has the advantage of being able to fabricate a desired structure at an arbitrary position on a surface and plays an important role for bridging the gap between micro- and nano-scales.     

Group velocity control of a light pulse using giant nonlinearities

In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a scheme to enhance nonlinearities of a probe pulse at both cross-phase modulation (XPM) and self-phase modulation (SPM) in a four-level system. Based on standing wave grating generated by counter-propagating resonant signal fields and an additional off-resonant coupling field, a giant nonlinear refractive index of the resonant probe field is obtained with absorption suppressed. Group velocity of the probe pulse can be controlled by both XPM and SPM nonlinearities.     

Molecular layer deposition of functional thin films for advanced lithographic patterning

Photoresist materials comprise one of the main challenges faced by lithography to meet the requirements of electronic device size scaling. Here we report for the first time the use of molecular layer deposition (MLD) to produce photoresist materials with controllable placement of functional moieties. Polyurea resists films are deposited by MLD using urea coupling reactions between 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate (PDIC) and ethylenediamine (ED) or 2,2'-(propane-2,2-diylbis(oxy))diethanamine (PDDE) monomers in a layer-by-layer fashion with a linear growth rate, allowing acid-labile groups to be incorporated into the film at well-controlled positions. The films are deposited with stoichiometric compositions and have highly uniform surface morphology as investigated using atomic force microscopy. We show that acid treatment can cleave the backbone of the polyurea film at positions where the acid-labile groups are embedded. We further show that after soaking the polyurea film with photoacid generator (PAG), it acts as a photoresist material and we present several UV patterning demonstrations. This approach presents a new way to make molecularly designed resist films for lithography.     

A rod-shaped vibro touch sensor using PZT thin film

We have fabricated a probe sensor. This sensor is for high precision coordinate measuring machines, surface roughness measuring tools, or scanning probe microscopes (SPM). This sensor consists of a rod vibrating in the axial direction. The longitudinal vibration was excited and also detected by PZT thin film. The PZT thin film was fabricated by a hydrothermal method. The hydrothermal method uses the reaction process in hot and high pressure aqueous solutions. We made a 27.8-mm long sensor. Its resonance frequency was 116 kHz. The sensitivity and resolution were evaluated by experiments. We succeeded in oscillating the rod and detecting the contact.     

An overview of highly porous oxide films with tunable thickness prepared by molecular layer deposition

This paper is a short review about the principle, preparation, and applications of ultra-thin oxide films prepared by molecular layer deposition (MLD). Porous oxide films, with well-defined porous structures and precisely controlled thicknesses down to several angstroms, can be prepared from dense organic/inorganic hybrid polymer films grown by MLD. The organic constituents in the film can be removed either by calcination at elevated temperatures or mild water etching at room temperature. Because of the layer-by-layer growth process for MLD, the deposited polymer films have regular structures and the removal of organic components from MLD polymer films produces uniform interconnected highly porous structures with a high surface area. For example, porous aluminum oxide films prepared by such a method have both micropores and mesopores with a BET surface area as high as 1250 m²/g. Examples of the versatility of the technique for fabrication of novel functional materials for various applications are discussed, including thermally stable, highly selective metal nanoparticle catalysts, defect-free inorganic membranes for gas separation, and photocatalytic layers prepared from titanium alkoxide MLD films.     

Quantitative analysis of low molecular weight polar compounds by continuous flow liquid secondary ion tandem mass spectrometry

Quantitative analyses of low molecular weight (100-200) polar compounds [1-methyl-4-phenylpyridine (MPP+), 2-amino-3-(methylamino)propanoic acid (synonyms, beta-(methyl-amino)-L-alanine or BMAA), and tryptophan] were conducted on a triple-stage quadrupole mass spectrometer configured for continuous flow liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry ionization (CF L-SIMS). It is shown that quantification by CF L-SIMS at subnanogram sensitivity can be precise (correlation coefficients greater than 0.99), accurate, specific, and routine for compounds not measurable by static L-SIMS. Successful analyses, however, are strongly dependent upon the stability of the film formed by the mobile phase on the probe tip. In our system, film stability is affected by mobile phase composition and flow rate, ion source and probe tip temperature, probe-tip and capillary alignment, film thickness, and sample composition.     

MOCVD方法在Si衬底上低温生长ZnO薄膜

采用二乙基锌(DEZn)和氧化亚氮(N2O)作为锌源和氧源,在低温300℃,利用金属有机化学气相沉积(MOCVD)的方法在Si(100)衬底上制备了ZnO薄膜.通过优化氧锌比,ZnO薄膜为高度单一c轴方向生长.由光致发光谱和反射谱得知,ZnO薄膜的紫外发光峰位于388nm,具有很好的光透性,且其PL谱半峰宽为80meV.     

Controlled modification and direct characterization of multimode-fiber refractive-index profiles

A combination of controlled annealing and characterization by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is used to demonstrate that the refractive-index proffle of a commercially available silica-based optical fiber can be accurately reconfigured for use as an evanescent field sensor. The process relies on the controlled relocation of the silica glass dopants across the fiber cross section through heat treatment and the accurate measurement of the resulting dopant redistribution with SPM and differential etching techniques. The effect of variable annealing along a length of fiber is to produce a mode transformer to couple light from a laser source into the sensing region of the fiber.     

Molecular layer deposition of ZrO2-based organic-inorganic nanohybrid thin films for organic thin film transistors

Molecular layer deposition (MLD) technique can be used for preparation of various organic-inorganic nanohybrid superlattices at a gas-phase. The MLD method is a self-controlled layer-by-layer growth process under vacuum conditions, and is perfectly compatible with the atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. In this paper, we fabricated a new type organic-inorganic nanohybrid thin film using MLD method combined with ALD. A self-assembled organic layer (SAOL) was formed at 170 °C using MLD with repeated sequential adsorptions of CC terminated alkylsilane and zirconium hydroxyl with ozone activation. A ZrO₂ inorganic nanolayer was deposited at the same temperature using ALD with alternating surface-saturating reactions of Zr(OC(CH₃)₃)₄ and H₂O. The prepared SAOL-ZrO₂ organic-inorganic nanohybrid films exhibited good mechanical stability, excellent insulating properties, and relatively high dielectric constant k (~ 16). They were then used as a 23 nm-thick dielectric for low voltage pentacene-based thin film transistors, which showed a maximum field effect mobility of 0.63 cm²/V s, operating at − 1 V with an on/off current ratio of ~ 10³.     

Two methods to prepare nanorings/nanoholes for the fabrication of vertical nanotransistors

A self-assembled monolayer of polystyrene (PS) beads is formed on a silicon wafer by spin-coating. After drying at 80?°C, a thin film of metal/oxide is deposited. During the deposition, the PS beads are detached due to forces such as the inner stress induced by plasma sputtering deposition, mechanical vibration, and centrifugal shearing induced by substrate rotation, resulting in nanoring/nanohole formation. Further experiments demonstrate that the PS?detachment can be controlled by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) tip manipulation. We believe this is a promising set of processes for fabricating nanodevice structures such as those of vertical nanotransistors, which provides high flexibility for nanocrystal characterizations and application for single-electron devices.     

Scanning Probe Study on the Piezotronic Effect in ZnO Nanomaterials and Nanodevices

ZnO nanomaterials with their unique semiconducting and piezoelectric coupled properties have become promising materials for applications in piezotronic devices including nanogenerators, piezoelectric field effect transistors, and diodes. This article will mainly introduce the research progress on piezotronic properties of ZnO nanomaterials investigated by scanning probe microscopy (SPM) and ZnO‐based prototype piezotronic nanodevices built in virtue of SPM, including piezoelectric field effect transistors, piezoelectric diodes, and strain sensors. Additionally, nanodamage and nanofailure of ZnO materials and their relevant piezotronic nanodevices will be critically discussed in their safe service in future nanoelectromechanical system (NEMS) engineering.     

基于互联网的扫描探针显微镜远程控制研究

在Ｉｎｔｅｒｎｅｔ信息传输的基础上,实现了数字化ＳＰＭ的远程控制。用户首先在连接ＳＰＭ的服务器上远程登陆,并取得不同的控制权。在得到主要操作人,协作者或旁观者的权力后,分别能远程直接控制ＳＰＭ的全部参数,部分参数,或不能控制参数。该系统已经在北京与上海两城市间进行了演示。     

Metalcones: hybrid organic-inorganic films fabricated using atomic and molecular layer deposition techniques

Hybrid organic-inorganic films can be deposited using atomic layer deposition (ALD) and molecular layer deposition (MLD) techniques. A special set of hybrid organic-inorganic films based on metal precursors and various organic alcohols yields metal alkoxide films that can be described as "metalcones." Many metalcone films are possible such as the "alucones" and "zincones" based on the reaction of trimethylaluminum and diethylzinc, respectively, with various organic alcohols such as ethylene glycol (EG). This paper reviews the previous work on metalcone MLD and discusses a variety of new metalcone systems. "Titanicones" are grown using TiCl4 and glycerol or EG and "zircones" are grown using zirconium tetra-tert-butoxide and EG. In addition, the organic alcohol can also be varied to change the properties within one metalcone family. For example, the glycerol triol precursor allows for more cross-linking and higher toughness in alucones than the EG diol precursor. Alloys can also be formed by combining metalcone MLD and metal oxide ALD. By varying the relative number of cycles of MLD and ALD, the composition and properties of the hybrid organic-inorganic films can be tuned from pure metalcone MLD to pure metal oxide ALD.     

柔性高阻隔薄膜材料的研究现状

目的为柔性高阻隔薄膜的应用提供理论指导。方法综述柔性高阻隔膜的应用现状及存在问题,总结热蒸发、化学气相沉积、原子层沉积等制备柔性高阻隔薄膜的方法、原理、特点及应用,展望高阻隔膜包装材料的发展前景。结果高阻隔薄膜制备工艺趋向于单次制备,采用等离子体辅助原子层沉积技术是制备超高阻隔薄膜的首选,原子层沉积(ALD)和分子层沉积(MLD)结合也是获得超高阻隔薄膜的未来发展方向。结论快速、高效地制备柔性高阻隔薄膜是包装工业的发展趋势。     

Tour de force microscopy

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is capable of imaging synthetic polymers and biomolecular systems at sub-molecular resolution, without the need for staining or coating, in a range of environments including gas and liquid, so offering major advantages over other forms of microscopy. However, there are some limitations, which could be alleviated by (i) reducing the force interaction between the probe and specimen and (ii) increasing the rate of imaging. New developments in instrumentation from the SPM group at the University of Bristol to overcome these limitations are discussed and illustrated here.The invention of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in 1981 began a revolution in microscopy¹, which has led to a whole new family of about a dozen microscopies known collectively as scanning probe microscopy (SPM). The importance of this development is comparable to that of the invention of electron microscopy in the 1930s and arguably as fundamental as the development of the first optical microscopes, since SPM uses an entirely different principle from optical and electron microscopy to achieve imaging at high resolution.