Nanomechanical characterization of multilayered thin film structures for digital micromirror devices

The digital micromirror device (DMD), used for digital projection displays, comprises a surface-micromachined array of up to 2.07 million aluminum micromirrors (14 μm square and 15 μm pitch), which switch forward and backward thousands of times per second using electrostatic attraction. The nanomechanical properties of the thin-film structures used are important to the performance of the DMD. In this paper, the nanomechanical characterization of the single and multilayered thin film structures, which are of interest in DMDs, is carried out. The hardness, Young's modulus and scratch resistance of TiN/Si, SiO₂/Si, Al alloy/Si, TiN/Al alloy/Si and SiO₂/TiN/Al alloy/Si thin-film structures were measured using nanoindentation and nanoscratch techniques, respectively. The residual (internal) stresses developed during the thin film growth were estimated by measuring the radius of curvature of the sample before and after deposition. To better understand the nanomechanical properties of these thin film materials, the surface and interface analysis of the samples were conducted using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The nanomechanical properties of these materials are analyzed and the impact of these properties on micromirror performance is discussed.     

空间光调制器DMD多级谱复频成像的研究

依据DMD空间光调制器的调制特性及复频成像特性,设计了一个紧凑的4f傅立叶变换系统,对DMD的多级衍射谱进行复频输出,极大改善了仅用DMD零级衍射谱作为图像读出的光亮度.利用DMD空间光调制器复频成像输出装置构建的一个合成全息图的拍摄系统,拍摄了具有高对比度、低噪音的合成全息图.     

基于数字微镜器件的中阶梯光栅光谱仪的光学系统设计

研究了一种基于数字微镜器件(DMD)具有新型光路结构的中阶梯光栅光谱仪,并采用新的谱图信息接收方式来降低其使用成本和数据处理过程的复杂程度。将具有单波长选通功能的DMD与一维探测器光电倍增管(PMT)相结合接收中阶梯光栅光谱仪的光谱信息,在降低仪器成本的同时将中阶梯光栅光谱仪谱图还原算法与DMD扫描驱动算法相整合,提高了算法效率。由于DMD的填充因子比CCD稍低,该类光谱仪对成像质量和能量集中度提出了更高的要求。本文根据DMD型中阶梯光栅光谱仪特点,在有限的可挑选的光学材料下,采用多重优化的方式合理设计了中阶梯光栅光谱仪准直镜、中阶梯光栅、棱镜、聚焦镜等各个光学元件的光路结构参数,并且在Czerny-Turner结构中加入校正透镜和场镜,校正了系统所有像差,提高了整个光学系统的成像质量和光谱分辨率。最终设计的光谱仪系统分辨率达0.01nm,单个微反射镜内的光斑能量聚集度达到70%。     

The comparison between force volume and peakforce quantitative nanomechanical mode of atomic force microscope in detecting cell's mechanical properties

Atomic force microscope (AFM) has been widely used in the biological field owing to its high sensitivity (subnanonewton), high spatial resolution (nanometer), and adaptability to physiological environments. Nowadays, force volume (FV) and peakforce quantitative nanomechanical (QNM) are two distinct modes of AFM used in biomechanical research. However, numerous studies have revealed an extremely confusing phenomenon that FV mode has a significant difference with QNM in determining the mechanical properties of the same samples. In this article, for the case of human benign prostatic hyperplasia cells (BPH) and two cancerous prostate cells with different grades of malignancy (PC3 and DU145), the differences were compared between FV and QNM modes in detecting mechanical properties. The results show measured Young's modulus of the same cells in FV mode was much lower than that obtained by QNM mode. Combining experimental results with working principles of two modes, it is indicated that surface adhesion is highly suspected to be a critical factor resulting in the measurement difference between two modes. To further confirm this conjecture, various weight ratios of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) were assessed by two modes, respectively. The results show that the difference of Young's modulus measured by two modes increases with the surface adhesion of PDMS, confirming that adhesion is one of the significant elements that lead to the measurement difference between FV and QNM modes.     

基于DMD多波段动态红外场景仿真系统的关键技术研究

对基于数字微镜器件(DMD)多波段动态红外场景仿真系统的几项关键技术进行了阐述,首先分析了黑体的特性,给出了温度范围计算公式;其次,分析了几种红外材料的特性及封装技术,确定了以硫化锌为多波段仿真系统的DMD窗口材料及粘合剂封装方法的选择;最后,分析了系统的需求及红外投影光学系统的特点,确定了多波段光学系统的整体光路设计及投影系统的技术指标。     

基于数字光处理技术的小型星模拟器设计

提出了基于数字光处理(DLP)技术的星模拟器系统的技术方案。根据星模拟器技术指标,确定了总体光学结构;在确定数字微镜元件(DMD)芯片规格的基础上,计算出星模拟器光学系统的焦距、单星张角、相对孔径等光学系统参数;最后,介绍了星图模拟软件的设计方法。计算及模拟结果表明,设计的小型星模拟器实现了星图视场为10.5°×7.5°,模拟星等为2.0~8.0等星,单星张角优于40″;将采样周期控制在毫秒量级,能为星敏感器提供任一时刻、任一惯性坐标系下指向的模拟星图,可满足航天工程中对小型星模拟器的动态性、大视场、宽星等范围、短采样周期等需求。     

数字微镜器件在高动态辐射场景成像探测系统中的应用

由于数字微镜器件（DMD）空间光调制器结合图像传感器能同时探测高动态场景中的亮暗目标,本文研究了DMD在高动态辐射场景成像探测系统中的应用。首先,介绍了DMD实现成像探测的原理,分析了DMD在高动态场景成像探测系统中的驱动控制方法。然后,根据DMD在高动态辐射场景成像探测系统中的工作特性,设计了能使光电成像设备提高66 dB的DMD的驱动控制。文中阐述了系统的主要设计模块和工作参数,并结合实验验证了系统设计的正确性。实验结果表明：该驱动控制方法能够实现对高动态场景中亮暗目标的同时探测,满足对光电成像设备动态范围提高66 dB的要求。若光电成像设备采用11位高灵敏高动态科学级图像传感器,则系统动态范围可达130 dB以上。     

基于位相检测的光学三维轮廓测量方法

三维轮廓测量是当前光学研究领域中非常活跃的一个技术分支,其中位相测量轮廓术(PMP)在求解中严格遵循物像共轭关系,具有较高的测量精度。DMD器件的出现,更推进了PMP技术的发展。本文重点讨论了位相测量轮廓术(PMP)测量中的典型问题,介绍了PMP的应用现状。     

用于高精度小尺寸零件制作的光固化快速成型技术的现状与发展

用于高精度小尺寸零件制作的光固化快速成型技术源于快速原型技术 ,利用光诱导树脂固化 ,实现逐层堆积的原理制作零件原型。本文回顾了近年来该领域中开发出的主要工艺方法、原理及系统构成 ;本文还提出了以变形反射镜器件为核心构建新型动态视图发生器 ,采用整层曝光固化工艺实现原型快速制作的新方法。和其它方法使用的动态视图发生器相比 ,本文提出的新型动态视图发生器具有更高的分辨率和更高的对比度 (可达 10 0 0∶1)。     

基于压缩感知的快速纠缠光量子成像方法

纠缠光量子成像效率主要受数字微镜器件(DMD)采样时间开销的影响,现有的DMD采样方式是对所有像素点进行逐点扫描,从而导致成像效率较低。针对这一问题,利用纠缠光的时间和空间关联特性,通过压缩感知算法对参考光进行稀疏采样,同时利用正交匹配追踪算法(OMP)从符合计数结果中得到目标图像。此外,还分析了不同捆绑像素数、DMD采样分块大小和图像稀疏度对成像质量和效率的影响,并通过搭建实际的纠缠光量子成像系统验证了所提方法的有效性。     

基于数字光处理的结构光三维扫描系统的设计

结合结构光投影三维扫描的原理,设计了数字微镜器件(DMD)作为结构光的发生装置,主控芯片为FPGA,实现了高速的DMD的控制和相机的同步采集。搭建了一个嵌入式三维扫描光学平台,并应用四步相移法完成实验。首先指定不同方向和周期的正弦条纹结构光,同步采集图像;然后通过软件设计完成对采集图像的预处理、相位的解调、相位的展开、相位-高度映射还原得到三维的深度信息并建模;最终获得最高464.8帧/s不同方向和周期的正弦条纹结构光显示,达到194帧/s的相机触发采集,三维扫描效果图清晰,还原和重建效果理想。     

High accuracy FIONA-AFM hybrid imaging

Multi-protein complexes are ubiquitous and play essential roles in many biological mechanisms. Single molecule imaging techniques such as electron microscopy (EM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are powerful methods for characterizing the structural properties of multi-protein and multi-protein-DNA complexes. However, a significant limitation to these techniques is the ability to distinguish different proteins from one another. Here, we combine high resolution fluorescence microscopy and AFM (FIONA-AFM) to allow the identification of different proteins in such complexes. Using quantum dots as fiducial markers in addition to fluorescently labeled proteins, we are able to align fluorescence and AFM information to ≥8 nm accuracy. This accuracy is sufficient to identify individual fluorescently labeled proteins in most multi-protein complexes. We investigate the limitations of localization precision and accuracy in fluorescence and AFM images separately and their effects on the overall registration accuracy of FIONA-AFM hybrid images. This combination of the two orthogonal techniques (FIONA and AFM) opens a wide spectrum of possible applications to the study of protein interactions, because AFM can yield high resolution (5-10 nm) information about the conformational properties of multi-protein complexes and the fluorescence can indicate spatial relationships of the proteins in the complexes.     

Artesunate induced morphological and mechanical changes of Jurkat cell studied by AFM

In this study, we have used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study the morphology and mechanical property changes of Jurkat cells exposed to different concentrations of Artesunate (ART) for 24 h at single cellular level. Cell viability and proliferation assays were performed by using the Cell Counting Kit‐8. The concentration of ART, which resulted in the inhibition rate >50% was selected. The AFM images revealed that the cell membrane changed and the ultrastructure also became complex. Mechanical properties of individual cell were tracked with AFM‐based force spectroscopy. The force curves revealed that when a cell was exposed to the ART, the mechanical properties changed obviously. Treated cells had a lower adhesion force of 416.8±37.9 pN, whereas control group had a higher adhesion force of 1064.2±97.0 pN. The Young's modulus decreased to nearly one‐third, from control group of 0.648±0.037 kPa to treated group of 0.254±0.035 kPa and the stiffness increased to nearly 1.5 times, from control group of 1.231±0.084 mN/m to treated group of 1.917±0.137 mN/m. These results suggest that ART can inhibit the proliferation of Jurkat and induce changes in the morphological structure and mechanical properties of Jurkat cells. The high resolution and high sensitivity of AFM can be used to detect morphological and mechanical properties of cells exposed to ART. The AFM may be developed to be a useful tool for detecting the cell death and evaluating the anti‐carcinogen efficacy against tumor cell. SCANNING 31: 83–89, 2009. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

DLP技术在数码冲印上的应用

介绍一种新型的数码相片冲印系统,它把DLP成像技术与传统银盐冲洗工艺有效地结合起来,使银盐冲洗方法在数字图像的冲印上有了新的发展。DLP是一种基于微电机系统的数字光处理技术,这种微电机系统被称为DMD,由TI公司在1987年发明,它是一种快速的数字反射开关阵列。     

AFM Investigation on Ox‐LDL‐Induced Changes in Cell Spreading and Cell‐Surface Adhesion Property of Endothelial Cells

The integrity and adhesion properties of endothelium play vital roles during atherosclerosis. It is well known that oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (Ox‐LDL) influences many physiological activities or mechanical properties of endothelial cells. However, the effects of Ox‐LDL on the integrity and nonspecific adhesion properties of endothelial cells are still unclear. In this study, using the topographical imaging and force measurement functions of atomic force microscopy (AFM), we found that Ox‐LDL can transiently weaken the integrity of endothelium by impairing cell spreading of endothelial cells and decrease the attachment of irrelevant blood cells to endothelium by impairing the nonspecific adhesion property of endothelial cells. The AFM‐based data provide important information for understanding the effects of Ox‐LDL on endothelial cells or during atherogenesis. SCANNING 35: 119‐126, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Surface chemistry-mechanical property relationship of low density polyethylene: an IR+visible sum frequency generation spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy study

Surface-specific IR+visible sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy was used to obtain chemical composition of two polymer surfaces. The SFG surface vibrational spectrum of pure low density polyethylene and that of a commercial sample of the same kind of polymer, which contains additives, are markedly different. This correlates well with the very different surface mechanical properties, i.e., stiffness (indicative of the elastic modulus) and friction, which were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) on the same polymer surfaces. The surface of CLDPE is dominated by methoxy (−OCH₃) contained additives, segregated from the bulk, which explains a lower stiffness, adhesion and friction of the surface, as measured by AFM. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect on crystalline structure of AISI M2 steel using tungsten–thorium electrode through MRR,EWR, and surface finish

To investigate on the crystalline structure of AISI M2 steel by using tungsten–thorium electrode in electrical discharge machining (EDM) process was studied. Furthermore, the investigation were carried out for finding the value of material removal rate (MRR), electrode wear rate (EWR) and surface roughness (SR) of tool steel material depending upon three variable input process parameters. On the basis of weight loss, the value of MRR and EWR were calculated at optimized process parameter. Subsequently, surface topography of the processed material were examined through different characterization techniques like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Optical surface profiler (OSP) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. In XRD study, broadening of the peak was observed which confirmed the change in material properties due to the homogeneous dispersion of the particles inside the matrix. Lowest surface roughness and MRR of 0.001208 mg/min was obtained. Minimum surface roughness was obtained 1.12 μm and 2.18427 nm by OSP and AFM study, respectively. Also, minimum EWR was found as 0.013986 mg/min.     

基于闪耀光栅图形化实现高分辨率干涉光刻

为提高图形化干涉光刻质量,提出了基于闪耀光栅的图形化干涉光刻(PIIL)系统,并对该系统所采用的光学原理和实现方法进行了研究。首先,分析了图形化干涉光刻系统的光场特性,阐述了其分辨率提升的原理。讨论了光学系统带宽和图案分布对光刻图形质量的影响,给出了图形质量控制的工艺方法。其次,提出了一种新型的图形化干涉光刻方法,该方法采用闪耀光栅作为衍射分光器件,实现了位相和振幅的一体化调制。采用数值计算方法模拟了闪耀光栅的衍射特性和像面光场分布,讨论了闪耀光栅的优化设计方法,获得了高达92.3%的±1级衍射效率。最后,基于数字微镜器件(DMD)和微缩成像光路设计开发了图形化干涉光刻系统,实验获得了像素化的点阵图形和质量明显改善的光刻图像,验证了该方法对任意图形的适用性。     

The study on the atomic force microscopy base nanoscale electrical discharge machining

This study proposes an innovative atomic force microscopy (AFM) based nanoscale electrical discharge machining (AFM-based nanoEDM) system which combines an AFM with a self-produced metallic probe and a high-voltage generator to create an atmospheric environment AFM-based nanoEDM system and a deionized water (DI water) environment AFM-based nanoEDM system. This study combines wire-cut processing and electrochemical tip sharpening techniques on a 40-μm thick stainless steel sheet to produce a high conductive AFM probes, the production can withstand high voltage and large current. The tip radius of these probes is approximately 40 nm. A probe test was executed on the AFM using probes to obtain nanoscales morphology of Si wafer surface. The silicon wafer was as a specimen to carry out AFM-base nanoEDM process in atmospheric and DI water environments by AFM-based nanoEDM system. After experiments, the results show that the atmospheric and DI water environment AFM-based nanoEDM systems operate smoothly. From experimental results, it can be found that the electric discharge depth of the silicon wafer at atmospheric environments is a mere 14.54 nm. In a DI water environment, the depth of electric discharge of the silicon wafer can reach 25.4 nm. This indicates that the EDM ability of DI water environment AFM-based nanoEDM system is higher than that of atmospheric environment AFM-based nanoEDM system. After multiple nanoEDM process, the tips become blunt. After applying electrochemical tip sharpening techniques, the tip radius can return to approximately 40 nm. Therefore, AFM probes produced in this study can be reused.     

Finite-element vibration analysis of tapping-mode atomic force microscopy in liquid

Investigation of morphology and mechanical properties of biological specimens using atomic force microscopy (AFM) often requires its operation in liquid environment. Due to the hydrodynamic force, the vibration of AFM cantilevers in liquid shows dramatically different dynamic characteristics from that in air. A good understanding of the dynamics of AFM cantilevers vibrating in liquid is needed for the interpretation of scanning images, selection of AFM operating conditions, and evaluation of sample's mechanical properties. In this study, a finite element (FE) model is used for frequency and transient response analysis of AFM cantilevers in tapping mode (TM) operated in air or liquid. Hydrodynamic force exerted by the fluid on AFM cantilevers is approximated by additional mass and hydrodynamic damping. The additional mass and hydrodynamic damping matrices corresponding to beam elements are derived. With this model, numerical simulations are performed for an AFM cantilever to obtain the frequency and transient responses of the cantilever in air and liquid. The comparison between our simulated results and the experimentally obtained ones shows good agreement. Based on the simulations, different characteristics of cantilever dynamics in air and liquid are discussed.