Dielectric Fluctuations over Polymer Films Detected Using an Atomic Force Microscope

This paper reports a thermal sensor assembled by two multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) inside a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) which constructed a probe tip in order to detect the local environment of single cell. An atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever was used for substrate which is composed by Si3N4, and double side was covered by gold layer. Two MWCNTs were assembled to both side of AFM cantilever individually by employing a nanorobotic manipulation. Then another AFM cantilever was used as an end effector to manipulate the MWCNTs to touch, and used electron beam induced deposition (EBID) to bonding the two MWCNTs. The MWCNTs probe thermal sensor was evaluation inside a thermostated container for 30°C to 60°C. The experimental results show the positive characteristics of the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR). We hope this result will be used rapidly in future. © 2012 IEEE.

Calibration of AFM cantilever stiffness: a microfabricated array of reflective springs

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is a powerful tool for the measurement of forces at the micro/nano scale when calibrated cantilevers are used. Besides many existing calibration techniques, the thermal calibration is one of the simplest and fastest methods for the dynamic characterization of an AFM cantilever. This method is efficient provided that the Brownian motion (thermal noise) is the most important source of excitation during the calibration process. Otherwise, the value of spring constant is underestimated. This paper investigates noise interference ranges in low stiffness AFM cantilevers taking into account thermal fluctuations and acoustic pressures as two main sources of noise. As a result, a preliminary knowledge about the conditions in which thermal fluctuations and acoustic pressures have closely the same effect on the AFM cantilever (noise interference) is provided with both theoretical and experimental arguments. Consequently, beyond the noise interference range, commercial low stiffness AFM cantilevers are calibrated in two ways: using the thermal noise (in a wide temperature range) and acoustic pressures generated by a loudspeaker. We then demonstrate that acoustic noises can also be used for an efficient characterization and calibration of low stiffness AFM cantilevers. The accuracy of the acoustic characterization is evaluated by comparison with results from the thermal calibration.

We investigate in theory and experiment the intermittent contact interaction between an atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever and a nanowire under ambient conditions. The nanowire is modeled as a spring reacting instantaneously to any change of the force between the wire and the cantilever. This implies that the cantilever is subject to an “effective” force-distance relation, containing not only the surface forces but also the deflection of the nanowire. Experimentally, CVD-grown tin oxide nanowires and lithographically structured silicon nanowire arrays were investigated by intermittent contact AFM. By comparison of experimental and simulated distance-dependent resonance curves it is found that the nanowires behave like “fast nanosprings” and that the adhesion force is one of the key factors determining distance-dependent resonance curves. The results are fully applicable to a scenario in which a cantilever equipped by a nanowire interacts with a surface.

Mechanical characterization of nanofibers using a nanomanipulator and atomic force microscope cantilever in a scanning electron microscope

This paper presents a study on the dynamic response of an atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever with a solid state heating element in liquid and its application for measuring the temperature-dependent viscosity of liquids. A finite difference model (FDM) predicts the frequency response of a heated cantilever immersed in liquid and calibrates the liquid viscosity from the measured cantilever resonant frequency (f0) at different cantilever heater temperatures. The technique measures a wide range of liquid viscosities (0.0005–0.005 kgm−1s−1) at temperatures ranging from 20 to 55 °C with high sensitivity (7.1 × 10−7 kgm-1s-1/Hz for 50 wt% ethylene glycol/water). The measurement requires heating a liquid volume of about 10 nl, which is more than 1000X smaller than other microcantilever-based viscosity measurements.

In this study we present measurements of the hydrodynamic force exerted on a glass sphere glued to an atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever approaching a mica surface in water. A large sphere was used to reduce the impact of the cantilever beam on the measurement. An AFM cantilever with large stiffness was used to accurately determine the actual contact position between the sphere and the sample surface. The measured hydrodynamic force with different approach velocities is in good agreement with the Taylor force calculated in the lubrication theory with the no-slip boundary conditions, which verifies that there is no boundary slip on the glass and mica surfaces. Moreover, a detailed procedure of how to subtract the electrostatic double-layer force is presented.

An atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever based coordinate measuring probe applicable for true three dimensional measurements of microstructures is presented. The probe has a shaft glued to a commercial AFM cantilever and a probing sphere located at the free end of the shaft. A conventional optical lever method is applied to detect the bending, torsion, and the dynamic behavior of the AFM cantilever which will change dramatically when the probe sphere is in proximity to the object to be measured. The probe has advantages such as small probing force (<1μN), high probing sensitivity allowing nanometer measurement resolution, easy exchange of probing elements, and low cost. Measurements of a microgear and a fuel injection nozzle using the developed probe are demonstrated, indicating its promising application potential.

This paper explores strategies for fabricating and maintaining a sharp atomic force microscope (AFM) tip suitable for AFM data storage applications. To this end, AFM cantilevers have been incorporated into micromachined sled carriers and air-bearing sliders. These supports act to limit the maximum loading force on the AFM tip and allow for improved vibration immunity for the AFM cantilever in comparison to macroscopic loading schemes. Readback from a patterned rotating disk has been demonstrated using these devices. Silicon-carbide AFM cantilevers with diamond tips have been fabricated in a process compatible with that of the sleds and sliders. Molded silicon-nitride tips defined by the intersection of three surfaces have also been fabricated for AFM cantilevers. The molds for plane-plane-concave tips are defined by two silicon {111} planes and a silicon-dioxide curved surface. By geometry, the three surfaces necessarily have a unique intersection point, which may improve the consistency in sharpness of these tips relative to conventional pyramidal tips.

Nanomechanical test instruments can precisely measure force and displacement and produce repeatable load-unload curves that can be used in characterizing mechanical behaviour at the nanoscale. In this study, a newly developed translucent nanomechanical test instrument was used in deriving reproducible stiffness values for ultra nano crystalline diamond (UNCD)-made atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilevers that are used for mechanical properties characterization of DLC films. The instrument which is calibrated according to the ISO-14577 standard is integrated with nano/micropositioners and multi-view optical microscopes to facilitate precise manipulation of those AFM cantilevers that were dozens of micrometers in size. Experimental results on UNCD-made AFM cantilever stiffness measurements are provided and compared with theoretical and batch production values.

A combined atomic force and scanning near-field optical microscope is presented. The critical component of the instrument is a single crystal silicon, microfabricated force-sensing cantilever with an integrated photodiode. Near-field optical images are obtained by monitoring variations in the optical power detected by the photodiode while the cantilever tip is scanned in an evanescent optical field created by illuminating the sample by total internal reflection. Near-field optical power was detected at tip-sample spacings of one-quarter wavelength. Atomic force and scanning near-field optical microscope images of the same samples show corresponding features as small as 25 nm.

The measurement of intermolecular forces at the liquid-solid interface is key to many studies of electrochemistry, wetting, catalysis, biochemistry, and mechanobiology. The atomic force microscope (AFM) is unique in its ability to measure and map these forces with nanometer resolution using the oscillating sharp tip of an AFM cantilever. These surface forces are only measured by observing the changes they induce in the dynamics of the resonant AFM probe. However, AFM cantilever dynamics at this interface can be significantly different when compared to air/vacuum environments due to the nature of nanoscale forces at the interface and the low-quality factors in liquids. In this work, we study the nonlinear dynamics of magnetically excited AFM microcantilevers on graphite and mica immersed in deionized water, high-concentration buffers, and methanol. By combining theory and experiments, a wealth of nonlinear dynamical phenomena such as superharmonic resonance, hysteretic jumps, and multimodal interactions are demonstrated and their dependence on hydration/solvation forces is clarified. These results are expected to aid ongoing efforts to link liquid-solid interface properties to cantilever dynamics and lead to accurate interpretation of data from experiments.

Current methods to study atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever dynamics use model simplification or are based on the non-trivial solution of the equation of motion. As an alternative method, transfer function analysis gives a more complete description of system dynamics. In this work a transfer function study of two different AFM configurations, the point force and base driven cantilever, is presented. Exact analytical expressions of the infinite dimensional transfer function are derived for cantilever deflection and slope along the cantilever. Frequency response and transfer function infinite product expansion are obtained for the case where system outputs are set at the free end of the cantilever. The frequency response reflects the full complexity of cantilever dynamics affected by the presence of an infinite number of poles and zeros. An analytical expression for all the zeros and poles of the system is obtained. From the frequency response and pole-zero investigations it is shown how cantilever actuation and output measurement affect AFM operation and cantilever dynamics modelling. Transfer function analysis of AFM cantilevers opens the possibility of model based AFM operation to increase imaging and manipulation performance.

To manipulate liquid matter at the nanometer scale, we have developed a robotic assembly equipped with a hollow atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever that can handle femtolitre volumes of liquid. The assembly consists of four independent robots, each sugar cube sized with four degrees of freedom. All robots are placed on a single platform around the sample forming a nano-workbench (NWB). Each robot can travel the entire platform and has a minimum position resolution of 5 nm both in-plane and out-of-plane. The cantilever chip was glued to the robotic arm. Dispensing was done by the capillarity between the substrate and the cantilever tip, and was monitored visually through a microscope. To evaluate the performance of the NWB, we have performed three experiments: clamping of graphene with epoxy, mixing of femtolitre volume droplets to synthesize gold nanoparticles and accurately dispense electrolyte liquid for a nanobattery.

ObjectiveThe nature and magnitude of molecular interactions on hair surfaces underpin the design of formulated products, of which the application involves a competitive adsorption process between cationic surfactants, fatty alcohols and surface actives such as silicone. The knowledge of molecular interaction with hair surface will not only provide insight on the surface binding affinity but also offer an effective methodology in characterizing surface deposits.MethodsUntreated and chemically treated hair samples were treated with either conditioner chassis alone (gel network) or conditioner chassis plus silicone (chassis/TAS). Hair surface interactions against four different chemical functional groups, namely methyl (−CH3), acid (−COOH), amine (−NH2) and hydroxyl (−OH), were quantified in both ambient and aqueous environment using Chemical Force Microscopy, a method based on atomic force microscopy (AFM).ResultsSurface adhesion on hair in ambient is dominated by capillary force that is determined by both the wettability of hair fibre (hydrophobic vs. hydrophilic), presence of any deposits and the chemical functionality of the AFM cantilever. Capillary force is diminished and replaced by electrostatic interaction when polar groups are present on both hair and AFM cantilever. A distinctively different force, hydrophobic interaction, plays a major role when virgin hair and hydrophobic functionalized AFM cantilever make contact in water.ConclusionResults acquired by AFM cantilevers of different functional groups show that hydrophobic interaction is a key driver for deposition on virgin hair, whilst electrostatic interaction is the most important one for bleached hair. Interfacial conformation of chassis components upon deposition is determined by the hair surface properties. Our study highlights the possibility of a range of polar groups, not necessarily negatively charged, on the damaged hair. Unlike conventional surface chemical analysis method, it is possible to quantitatively evaluate the interfacial conformation of deposited surface actives on hair, which identifies the target moieties for conditioning products on different types of hair.