Patterning and optical properties rhodamine B-doped organic-inorganic silica films fabricated by sol-gel soft lithography

Rhodamine B (RB)-doped organic-inorganic silica films and their patterning were fabricated by a sol-gel process combined with a soft lithography. The resulted film samples were characterized by atomic force microscope (AFM), optical microscope and UV/Vis absorption and photoluminescence excitation and emission spectra. The effects of the concentration of the RB dye and heat treatment temperature on the optical properties of the hybrid silica films have been studied. Four kinds of patterning structures with film line widths of 5, 10, 20 and 50 mum have been obtained by micromolding in capillaries by a soft lithography technique. The RB-doped hybrid silica films present a red color, with an excitation and emission bands around 564 and 585 mum, respectively. With increasing the RB concentration, the emission intensity of the RB-doped hybrid silica films increases and the emission maximum presents a red shift. The emission intensity of the films decreases with increasing the heat treatment temperatures.

Conformation change of horseradish peroxidase in lipid membrane

The electrochemical behavior of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in the dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) bilayer on the glassy carbon (GC) electrode was studied by cyclic voltammetry. The direct electron transfer of HRP was observed in the DMPC bilayer. Only a small cathodic peak was observed for HRP on the bare GC electrode. The electron transfer of HRP in the DMPC membrane is facilitated by DMPC membrane. UV-Vis and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy were used to study the interaction between HRP and DMPC membrane. On binding to the DMPC membrane the secondary structure of HRP remains unchanged while there is a substantial change in the conformation of the heme active site. Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) was first applied for the investigation on the structure of HRP adsorbed on supported phospholipid bilayer on the mica and on the bare mica. HRP molecules adsorb and aggregate on the mica without DMPC bilayer. The aggregation indicates an attractive interaction among the adsorbed molecules. The molecules are randomly distributed in the DMPC bilayer. The adsorption of HRP in the DMPC bilayer changes drastically the domains and defects in the DMPC bilayer due to a strong interaction between HRP and DMPC films.

A mica-modified quartz resonator for a quartz crystal microbalance study

Mica, as a bridge of the study for combining between quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and atomic force microscope (AFM), was successfully modified onto the piezoelectric quartz crystal (PQC). This mica-modified piezoelectric quartz crystal (mica-PQC) can be stably oscillated with a shift frequency of +/-1 Hz per half an hour in air. Using this mica-PQC, the processes of DNA adsorbed onto the mica surface were studied in liquid phase. The results show that a bivalent cation, such as Mn2+, can be used as an ionic bridge to immobilize DNA on mica surface. The image of DNA on the mica surface was also obtained by AFM. Mica-PQC gives the possibility of a combination between QCM and AFM in situ.

Nanostructure and mechanical measurement of highly oriented lamellae of melt-drawn HDPE by scanning probe microscopy

Scanning probe microscopy was used to simultaneously determine the molecular chain structure and intrinsic mechanical properties, including anisotropic elastic modulus and friction, for lamellae of highly oriented high-density polyethylene (HDPE) obtained by the melt-drawn method. The molecular-scale image of the highly oriented lamellae by friction force microscopy (FFM) clearly shows that the molecular chains are aligned parallel to the drawing direction, and the periodicities along and perpendicular to the drawing direction are 0.26 and 0.50 nm, respectively. The results indicate that the exposed planes of the lamellae resulting from the melt-drawn method are (200), which is consistent with results of transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. Because of the high degree of anisotropy in the sample, coming from alignment of the molecular chains along the drawing direction, the measured friction force, F, determined by FFM is strongly dependent on the angle, theta, between the scanning direction and the chain axis. The force increases as theta is increased from 0 degrees (i.e., parallel to the chain axis) to 90 degrees (i.e., perpendicular to the chain axis). The structural anisotropy was also found to strongly influence the measurements of the transverse chain modulus of the polymer by the nanoindentation technique. The measured value of 13.8 GPa with transverse modulus was larger than the value 4.3 GPa determined by wide-angle X-ray diffraction, which we attributed to anisotropic deformation of the lamellae during nanoindentation measurements that was not accounted for by the elastic treatment we adopted from Oliver and Pharr. The present approach using scanning probe microscopy has the advantage that direct correlations between the nanostructure, nanotribology, and nanomechanical properties of oriented samples can be determined simultaneously and simply.

Self-assembled monolayer of ssDNA on Au(111) substrate

Self-assembled monolayer of natural single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) from dl:natured plasmid DNA and pBR322/PstI marker was first observed on Au(111) by low-current STM (Lc-STM). The width of ssDNA stripe measured is 0.9 +/- 0.1 nm, which is just half of the theoretical width of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA). Each ssDNA stripe consists of bright and dark parts. alternatively; the period of two adjacent bright parts in the same ssDNA stripe measured is 0.4 +/- 0.1 nm, which is consistent with the theoretical distance between two adjacent base pairs in ssDNA. The stripe orientations in ssDNA domains are predominately at angles of 0 degrees, 60 degrees or 120 degrees relative to crystallographically faceted steps on the gold surface. The electrochemical experiment indicated that it was ssDNA but not dsDNA that was absorbed on Au(111)surface. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance study of the adsorption of phenanthraquinone accompanied by an electrochemical redox reaction on the Au electrode

In situ electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy (ECSTM) and an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) have been employed to follow the adsorption/desorption processes of phenanthraquinone (PQ sat. in 0.1 mol l(-1) HClO4, solution) accompanied with an electrochemical redox reaction on the Au electrode. The result shows that: (1) the reduced form PQH(2) adsorbed at the Au electrode and the desorption occurred when PQH(2) was oxidized to PQ; (2) the adsorption process initiates at steps or kinks which provide high active sites on the electrode surface for adsorption, and as the potential shifts to negative, a multilayer of PQH(2) may be formed at the Au electrode; (3) the reduced PQH(2) adsorbed preferentially in the area where the tip had been scanned continually; this result suggests that the tip induction may accelerate the adsorption of PQH(2) on the Au(111) electrode. Two kinds of possible reason have been discussed; (4) high resolution STM images show the strong substrate lattice information and the weak monolayer adsorbate lattice information simultaneously. The PQH(2) molecules pack into a not perfectly ordered condensed physisorbed layer at potentials of 0.1 and 0.2 V with an average lattice constant a = 11.5 +/- 0.4 Angstrom, b = 11.5 +/- 0.4 Angstrom, and gamma = 120 +/- 2 degrees; the molecular lattice is rotated with respect to the substrate lattice by about 23 +/- 2 degrees. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.

基于AFM的机器人化纳米操作系统综述

对基于扫描隧道显微镜(Scanning tunnel microscope,STM)及原子力显微镜(Atomicforcemicroscope,AFM)的纳米操作技术发展进行阐述,针对其中存在的主要问题,引述出机器人化纳米操作的必要性。接着,对国内外机器人化纳米操作系统的研究进展、现状及存在的主要问题进行详细分析,提出基于AFM的机器人化纳米操作系统的结构原型,并指出实现机器人化纳米操作所需解决的关键技术问题及相应的解决方案之一,为进行深入的机器人化纳米操作研究提供了可以借鉴的研究方向。

AFM扫描图像重构算法的改进

针对原子力显微镜(AFM)纳米成像中存在的失真问题,研究了通过探针建模实现AFM扫描图像重构方法.目前探针盲建模算法在重构AFM图像时存在较大误差,因此提出基于探针模型预估计的AFM扫描图像重构方法.该方法采用分区探针针尖建模,并通过基于该探针模型的反卷积运算实现AFM扫描图像重构,获得比较接近真实形貌的AFM扫描图像.文中介绍了算法的具体步骤,通过仿真和实验结果证明,该方法能够有效降低AFM图像重构时引入的误差,得到的图像更能反映样品表面真实的形貌。

基于纳米运动平台的原子力显微镜开发

采用一种无耦合、三轴精确定位的纳米运动平台作为扫描器,研制了一种新型原子力显微镜(AFM).该AFM有效消除了通常使用的单管式压电陶瓷扫描器扫描过程中运动耦合产生的两种结构误差--交叉耦合误差和扫描范围误差,极大提高了纳米测量及操作的精度。

基于AFM的机器人化纳米操作中纳观力的初步研究

针对基于原子力显微镜(AFM)的机器人化纳米操作,对探针作用下探针—基片—微粒之间纳观力的作用规律进行了初步分析.指出起主要作用的纳观力为范德华力、接触斥力、纳米摩擦力、毛细作用力以及纳米静电力等五种,并初步推导了各种纳观力的表达形式.通过力—距离曲线仿真与实验验证了所进行分析的合理性;该分析有助于进行纳米操作的精确控制.

具有力觉与视觉反馈的交互式纳米操作系统

提出了交互式纳米操作的实现方法,搭建了一个具有力觉与视觉反馈的交互式纳米操作系统.操作者通过该系统不仅可以实时感受到作用在原子力显微镜(AFM)探针上的力,而且可以实时观察到纳米环境在AFM操作下的变化过程,使得对微观世界的纳米操作如同在宏观世界搬运物体一样直观、灵活.实验结果证实了本系统的高效性及先进性.

原子力显微镜管式扫描器运动学建模与误差分析

针对样本扫描模式原子力显微镜,对其管式扫描器-样本-探针系统进行了运动学分析,建立了该系统的运动学模型,该模型表明:对于给定原子力显微镜扫描器,样本上与探针接触点的横向和纵向位移取决于探针尖端相对于扫描管轴心的偏置量、所加电压(或名义扫描范围)及样本厚度。据此模型,对由于弯曲运动模式所产生的两种重要误差—交叉耦合误差及扫描范围误差进行了定量分析,分析表明:扫描范围误差主要受样本厚度及名义扫描范围影响,而Z向交叉耦合误差主要受探针偏置量及名义扫描范围影响,实验验证了所建立的运动学模型和误差计算公式的正确性;另外,还提出了相应的减小误差的方法。

基于原子力显微镜的机器人化纳米操作系统研究

自从1986年G. Binnig等发明原子力显微镜（AFM）后，纳米科技研究得到了快速发展，纳米科技研究的最终目标之一是从纳米甚至分子与原子尺度上制造功能器件或系统，而实现此目标的使能技术是具有能在纳米尺度上进行精确可控操作与装配的方法、技术与装置。为此，学者们对基于AFM的纳米操作进行了大量研究，但由于对纳米尺度上物体的受力与运动方式等物理机理认识的不足、AFM探针精确定位技术的缺乏、以及操作过程中实时反馈信息的缺乏，使得操作者无法对纳米操作的中间过程及最终结果进行精确控制，纳米操作的成功率、效率及灵活性低下，从而严重阻碍了基于AFM的纳米操作的发展与应用。对此，本文在分析目前研究现状及存在问题的基础上，结合机器人学理论与技术，研制了基于AFM且具有实时力/触觉及视觉反馈的机器人化纳米操作系统，通过对纳米环境中物体的受力与运动方式进行分析与建模，从理论与实验上对AFM探针的驱动与精确定位、实时三维纳米力/触觉及实时纳米视觉信息的反馈与控制等关键问题进行了深入研究。 在AFM探针驱动与精确定位方面，本文在对压电陶瓷驱动器电压-位移的迟滞/非线性特性进行理论与实验分析的基础上，提出了基于复现扫描轨迹的驱动方法，并对驱动器运动学耦合误差、探针悬臂变形引起的针尖偏移误差进行了定量分析与补偿，从而获得了很高的探针定位精度。 在实时三维纳米力/触觉信息反馈与控制方面，本文在对探针-微粒-基片之间各种纳米力进行初步理论分析的基础上，将AFM探针作为三维纳米力传感器，通过对探针受力-悬臂变形进行建模，并根据实时检测的经光学杠杆放大后的悬臂变形信号获得了探针所受三维纳米力的大小，将此三维力经比例放大后送入力/触觉设备，操作者通过其操作手柄可实时感受到探针所受的力/触觉反馈信息，并据此反馈信息对施加在探针上作用力的大小及方向进行在线调节与控制。 在实时纳米视觉信息反馈与控制方面，本文利用增强现实技术，通过对微粒的动力学建模得出操作微粒所需施加在探针上的作用力大小，并结合实际施加在探针上的力信息来判断微粒能否运动；通过对微粒进行运动学建模得出其运动模式，再结合探针的实际位置信息得出微粒在探针操作下的实时位置与姿态（或刻画时刻痕的位置与尺寸），以此对视觉界面上显示的微粒位置与姿态及纳米环境进行局部更新，实现了微粒运动过程及纳米环境变化的实时视觉反馈，操作者借助此视觉反馈信息可对探针的作用位置及运动轨迹进行实时调节与控制。 在上述研究基础上，研制成功了基于AFM且具有实时力/触觉及视觉反馈的高精度机器人化纳米操作系统。利用该系统，操作者不仅可以实时感受到探针与微粒或基片之间的相互作用力，还可以实时观察到微粒的运动过程及纳米环境的变化，并据此在线控制探针的作用位置与运动轨迹、以及施加在探针上作用力的大小与方向，从而实现了对纳米操作过程及最终操作结果的精确控制，大大提高了纳米操作的成功率、效率及灵活性。纳米刻画和多壁碳纳米管的操作实验验证了该机器人化纳米操作系统的有效性。 另外，本文针对目前纳电子器件装配制造方面的一个关键技术难题，探索结合了介电电泳与本机器人化纳米操作方式（粗、精两级操作方式），实现了单根碳纳米管与微电极的精确定位装配与电连接，为装配制造基于单纳米管/线的纳米器件提供了一种新颖可行的方法与技术。 本文的研究工作为基于AFM的机器人化纳米操作提供了可以借鉴的理论与实验经验，有助于推动基于AFM的纳米操作与制造技术的发展。

Combined effect of surface tension, gravity and van der Waals force induced by a non-contact probe tip on the shape of liquid surface

Aiming at understanding how a liquid film on a substrate affects the atomic force microscopic image in experiments, we present an analytical representation of the shape of liquid surface under van der Waals interaction induced by a non-contact probe tip. The analytical expression shows good consistence with the corresponding numerical results. According to the expression, we find that the vertical scale of the liquid dome is mainly governed by a combination of van der Waals force, surface tension and probe tip radius, and is weekly related to gravity. However, its horizontal extension is determined by the capillary length.

Piezoelectricity Of Zno Films Prepared By Sol-Gel Method

ZnO piezoelectric thin films were prepared on crystal substrate Si(111) by sol-gel technology, then characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The ZnO films characterized by X-ray diffraction are highly oriented in (002) direction with the growing of the film thickness. The morphologies, roughness and grain size of ZnO film investigated by AFM show that roughness and grain size of ZnO piezoelectric films decrease with the increase of the film thickness. The roughness dimension is 2.188-0.914 nm. The piezoelectric coefficient d(33) was investigated with a piezo-response force microscope (PFM). The results show that the piezoelectric coefficient increases with the increase of thickness and (002) orientation. When the force reference is close to surface roughness of the films, the piezoelectric coefficient measured is inaccurate and fluctuates in a large range, but when the force reference is big, the piezoelectric coefficient d(33) changes little and ultimately keeps constant at a low frequency.