Nano-wear of the diamond AFM probing tip under scratching of silicon, studied by AFM

In order to improve such a widely used microtribological testing procedure as surface scratching by an AFM diamond tip, an experimental study has been carried out using single-crystalline silicon as the tested material. Wear of the AFM diamond tip under scratching was observed by a decrease in the scratch depth with increasing wear cycles and by the direct imaging of the diamond tip shape using a Si₃N₄ AFM tip. It was shown that the current widely used experimental method, which assumes the diamond tip to be non-wearable, introduces uncontrollable error into the obtained values for the tested material's wear rate. The harder the tested material, the larger may be the tip wear, and, therefore, the bigger may be its effect on the obtained wear rate values. The specific wear rates for the diamond tip and a silicon wafer were estimated to be 1.4 × 10^-9 and 4.5 × 10^-4 mm³/(N m), respectively.     

一维矩形光栅AFM图像盲探针表面重建模拟研究

探针结构参数的合理选取将直接决定扫描图像及其盲探针修正图像的失真程度。基于此,以一维矩形模拟光栅为典型案例,对该模拟光栅的原子力显微镜(AFM)扫描成像过程与盲探针修正过程进行了仿真,阐明了探针结构参数对扫描成像过程与盲探针修正过程的影响规律。通过建立线宽变化度与半高宽相结合的图像重建误差评价指标,确定了针对该模拟光栅的AFM探针建议结构参数,并取得了良好的光栅图像重建效果。研究表明,应用线宽变化度结合半高宽来综合评价光栅的AFM测量和图像重建过程,有利于提升实际光栅AFM图像盲探针重建的准确度。     

用改进的快速傅里叶变换法评估一维标准样板线节距数据

由于利用快速傅里叶变换(FFT)法定量测量标准样板的平均节距时会因为频谱分辨率Δf有限而在数据分析过程中丢失信息,故本文对常用的FFT法进行了改进.首先在FFT的频谱中得到最大振幅值对应的频率分量f_max,使用二分法缩小f_max附近的频率范围;然后利用连续傅里叶变换法寻找更大的振幅值与更精确的f'_max以求得更接近真实值的线节距.为了验证该方法的可行性,利用Matlab软件仿真被测标准样板(TGD1)的轮廓图,比较了FFT与改进后的FFT对不同扫描长度下数据的评估结果,并展示了改进FFT法评估时部分数据的运算过程.同时,通过计量型原子力显微镜实测20μm×2μm内的TGD1形貌.两种评估法下的数据比对结果显示:改进FFT评估后的线节距为(277.84±0.39)nm,符合标称值(278±1)nm,验证了改进后FFT方法对线节距求解的准确性与合理性.     

Fundamental Investigation of Micro Wear Rate Using an Atomic Force Microscope

Micro-wear characteristics of Si and Si₃N₄ tips and the surfaces of Au, Cu, DLC, and bare Si were investigated using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). The range of applied load was between 10 to 800 nN. It was found that the wear coefficient values were between 10^-3 to 10^-1 and 10^-5 to 10^-4 for Si and Si₃N₄ tip, respectively. The experimentally obtained wear rates were comparable to those of the macro-scale systems. Also, evidence of micro-plastic deformation could be found on the wear track.     

Editorial

From both simple estimates and a 'blind' reconstruction based on cryo-AFM images of filamentous actin, we find that the radius of curvature at the apex of Si₃N₄ tips can be as small as 1 nm with a conical angle in the range 30~40°, revealing a relatively high aspect ratio that is much greater than previously anticipated. Our results show that commercially available cantilevers are often sharp enough for routine high resolution imaging of biological materials, and suggest that factors other than an inherent blunt tip are probably responsible for frequent occurrences of poor resolution.     

高精度非球面表面测量技术研究

追求更高制造精度一直是制造业的目标,制造精度的提高不但取决于机床、刀具和数控技术,而且取决于制造系统所采用测试手段所能达到的测量精度。在诸多非球面测量方案中,接触式光栅测量技术能够达到相对较高测量精度并具有广泛的适用范围。针对该技术在两个方面提出进一步的改进:第一,把原子力显微镜和用于位移精密测量全息光栅引入非球面制造系统,取代机械测头,以便对该系统所采用测试手段进行改进,进而提高该系统测量精度:原子力显微镜的工作模式采用轻敲模式。第二,全息光栅是光栅制造的最新发展,它的各种指标参数均优于刻划光栅,全息光栅位移精密测量技术也优于传统光栅位移测量技术;为进一步提高非球面表面测量精度,采用全息光栅取代普通光栅实现位移精密测量是非常必要的。     

基于原子力显微镜(AFM)的微加工系统

目前原子力显微镜(AFM)已经成为纳米加工领域中一种重要的加工手段,但由于其自身扫描陶管及针尖等因素的影响,AFM的微加工能力在很大程度上受到限制。利用三维微动工作台结合原子力显微镜以及锋利的金刚石针尖组成微加工系统,通过编程获取微结构的轮廓,选择RS-232串口作为通讯方式,发送字符串命令控制工作台的运动实现预定的轨迹,从而消除了扫描陶管运动范围有限且存在漂移和滞后的影响,解决了氮化硅和单晶硅针尖加工材料范围有限的问题,提升了AFM的加工能力,并加工出较为复杂的微结构及微传感器。实验表明这是一种可行的微加工方法。     

Influence of oil polarity and material combination on the tribological response of greases formulated with biodegradable oils and bentonite and highly dispersed silica acid

Different biodegradable lubricating greases formulated with esters of fatty acids, as base oils, and bentonite and highly dispersed silica acid, as thickener agents, were tribologically investigated in a nanotribometer and compared with polyalpha olefin greases with equal thickeners. Material combinations of steel ball on steel disc and sapphire ball on steel disc were used with different normal loads. Several friction and wear effects were found depending on the thickener and the base oil. The influence of grease components is also different in both material combinations evaluated. On the one hand, the base oil exerts a much higher impact on friction and wear in grease systems thickened with highly dispersed silica acid than in those thickened with bentonite. On the other hand, the latter reacts more sensitively to a change in material combination. Results were discussed and explained on the basis of polarity influences of the base oils and solid surfaces. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于AFM推动的纳米粒子运动学模型研究

针对纳米操作和装配过程中面临的由AFM单探针带来的物体丢失和操作效率低等问题,通过对纳米粒子推动实验的分析,建立了纳米粒子推动操作的运动学模型.该模型充分考虑了推动速度及探针磨损两个因素,引入了与速度相关的粘滞摩擦力,并利用空间配置的方法解决了探针针尖半径对操作结果的影响.该模型能够预测推动操作后粒子的可能位置,从而可以避免操作过程中粒子丢失的现象,能够提高纳米操作效率.数值模拟结果与多次实验操作结果相对比,验证了所建模型的有效性.     

硅光栅的等高粗糙对黏着影响的实验研究

采用具有600 nm周期的一维硅光栅来表示等高粗糙表面,研究AFM的测试参数对等高粗糙表面的黏着影响。实验所使用的探针为平头探针(PL2 CONTR 10,Nanosensors),其针尖直径为2 μm,实验分别在空气中以及干燥环境下进行,通过力曲线的测量,计算出黏着力的平均值以及标准差。结果表明：载荷与停留时间会引起黏着力的略微增大或减小,但总体影响不是很大;在空气中,随着退针速率加快,黏着力先表现出先增大然后减小的趋势;而在干燥环境下,黏着力随着退针速率的加快逐渐减小。     

压电陶瓷驱动的铰链放大式微动工作台研究

研制了一种新的压电陶瓷驱动的铰链放大式微动工作台。介绍了该微动工作台的基本原理,利用原子力显微镜技术测定了压电陶瓷与铰链放大臂的微位移和微振动,确定了铰链机构的放大比及微动工作台的时间响应频率。结果表明,该微动工作台能以0.5μm～5μm的步长实现平稳的微位移,最大速度达到250μm/s。