Scanning ion conductance microscopy（SICM） is an emerging non-destructive surface topography characterization apparatus with nanoscale resolution. However, the low regulating frequency of probe in most existing modul...Scanning ion conductance microscopy（SICM） is an emerging non-destructive surface topography characterization apparatus with nanoscale resolution. However, the low regulating frequency of probe in most existing modulated current based SICM systems increases the system noise, and has difficulty in imaging sample surface with steep height changes. In order to enable SICM to have the capability of imaging surfaces with steep height changes, a novel probe that can be used in the modulated current based bopping mode is designed. The design relies on two piezoelectric ceramics with different travels to separate position adjustment and probe frequency regulation in the Z direction. To fiarther improve the resonant frequency of the probe, the material and the key dimensions for each component of the probe are optimized based on the multi-objective optimization method and the finite element analysis. The optimal design has a resonant frequency of above 10 kHz. To validate the rationality of the designed probe, microstructured grating samples are imaged using the homebuilt modulated current based SICM system. The experimental results indicate that the designed high frequency probe can effectively reduce the spike noise by 26% in the average number of spike noise. The proposed design provides a feasible solution for improving the imaging quality of the existing SICM systems which normally use ordinary probes with relatively low regulating frequency.展开更多
The adsorption configurations of molecules adsorbed on substrates can significantly affect their physical and chemical properties. A standing configuration can be difficult to determine by traditional techniques, such...The adsorption configurations of molecules adsorbed on substrates can significantly affect their physical and chemical properties. A standing configuration can be difficult to determine by traditional techniques, such as scanning tunneling microscopy(STM) due to the superposition of electronic states. In this paper, we report the real-space observation of the standing adsorption configuration of phenylacetylene on Cu(111) by non-contact atomic force microscopy(nc-AFM).Deposition of phenylacetylene at 25 K shows featureless bright spots in STM images. Using nc-AFM, the line features representing the C–H and C–C bonds in benzene rings are evident, which implies a standing adsorption configuration. Further density functional theory(DFT) calculations reveal multiple optimized adsorption configurations with phenylacetylene breaking its acetylenic bond and forming C–Cu bond(s) with the underlying copper atoms, and hence stand on the substrate.By comparing the nc-AFM simulations with the experimental observation, we identify the standing adsorption configuration of phenylacetylene on Cu(111). Our work demonstrates an application of combining nc-AFM measurements and DFT calculations to the study of standing molecules on substrates, which enriches our knowledge of the adsorption behaviors of small molecules on solid surfaces at low temperatures.展开更多
The elastic indentation modulus and hardness of standard bulk materials and advanced thin films were determined by using the nanoindentation technique followed by the Oliver- Pharr post-treatment. After measurements w...The elastic indentation modulus and hardness of standard bulk materials and advanced thin films were determined by using the nanoindentation technique followed by the Oliver- Pharr post-treatment. After measurements with different loading/unloading schemes on chemically polished bulk titanium a substantial decrease of both modulus and hardness vs an increasing loading time was found. Then, hard nanostructured TiBN and TiCrBN thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering （using multiphase targets） on substrates of high roughness （sintered hard metal） and low roughness （silicon） were studied. Experimental modulus and hardness characterized by using two different nanoindenter tools were within the limits of standard deviation. However, a strong effect of roughness on the spread of the experimental values was observed and it was found that hardness and elastic indentation modulus obeyed a Gaussian distribution. The experimental data were discussed together with scanning probe microscopy （SPM） images of typical imprints taken after the nanoindentation tests and the local topographyls strong correlation with the results of nanoindentation was described.展开更多
Ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites possess exceptional electric properties with respect to the two otherwise uniform phases,which is commonly attributed to the critical role of the matrix-particle interfacial region...Ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites possess exceptional electric properties with respect to the two otherwise uniform phases,which is commonly attributed to the critical role of the matrix-particle interfacial region.However,the structure-property correlation of the interface remains unestablished,and thus,the design of ferroelectric polymer nanocompos-ite has largely relied on the trial-and-error method.Here,a strategy that combines multi-mode scanning probe microscopy-based electrical charac-terization and nano-infrared spectroscopy is developed to unveil the local structure-property correlation of the interface in ferroelectric polymer nano-composites.The results show that the type of surface modifiers decorated on the nanoparticles can significantly influence the local polar-phase content and the piezoelectric effect of the polymer matrix surrounding the nano-particles.The strongly coupled polar-phase content and piezoelectric effect measured directly in the interfacial region as well as the computed bonding energy suggest that the property enhancement originates from the formation of hydrogen bond between the surface modifiers and the ferroelectric polymer.It is also directly detected that the local domain size of the ferroelectric polymer can impact the energy level and distribution of charge traps in the interfacial region and eventually influence the local dielectric strength.展开更多
The microscopic physical properties of Hardened Cement Paste (HCP) surfaces were evaluated by using Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM). The cement pastes were cured under a hydrostatic pressure of 400 MPa and the contact...The microscopic physical properties of Hardened Cement Paste (HCP) surfaces were evaluated by using Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM). The cement pastes were cured under a hydrostatic pressure of 400 MPa and the contacting surfaces with a slide glass during the curing were studied. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) observation at a magnification of 7000 revealed smooth surfaces with no holes. The surface roughness calculated from the SPM measurement was 4 nm. The surface potential and the frictional force measured by SPM were uniform throughout the measured area 24 h after the curing. However, spots of low surface potential and stains of low frictional force and low viscoelasticity were observed one month after curing. This change was attributed to the carbonation of hydrates.展开更多
An experimental study on cutting amorphous alloy at nanometer scale is conducted by applying the principle and technology of scanning probe microscope(SPM) It is revealed from the experiments that cutting inside SPM...An experimental study on cutting amorphous alloy at nanometer scale is conducted by applying the principle and technology of scanning probe microscope(SPM) It is revealed from the experiments that cutting inside SPM is an excellent and direct way to research the material removal process at small size Based on the experimental results,the chip formation mechanism for the cutting of amorphous alloy is discussed It is found that the deformation along the direction of chip flow occurs ahead of the appearance of localized shear,and a simplified geometrical model is proposed to illustrate the deformation.展开更多
The surface of a compact disk is analyzed by using SPM and the quantitative micromorphology analysissoftware SPMIAS developed by the author. Images at the same position but with different scanning ranges areobtained ...The surface of a compact disk is analyzed by using SPM and the quantitative micromorphology analysissoftware SPMIAS developed by the author. Images at the same position but with different scanning ranges areobtained under the same experimental conditions. Micromorphology parameters are calculated and compared, andthe relationship between the changing of the scanning range and the changing of micromorphology parameters issummarized.展开更多
By means of total energy calculations within the framework of the local density approximation (LDA), the interactions between a silicon Si(001) surface and a scanning probe are investigated. The tip of the probe, comp...By means of total energy calculations within the framework of the local density approximation (LDA), the interactions between a silicon Si(001) surface and a scanning probe are investigated. The tip of the probe, comprising 4 Si atoms scans along the dimer lines above an asymmetric p(2 × 1) surface, at a distance where the chemical interaction between tip-surface is dominant and responsible for image resolution. At that distance, the tip causes the dimer to toggle when it scans above the lower atom of a dimer. The toggled dimers create an alternating pattern, where the immediately adjacent neighbours of a toggled dimer remain unchanged. After the tip has fully scanned across the p(2 × 1) surface, causes the dimers to arrange in a p(2 × 2) reconstruction, reproducing the images obtained in scanning probe experiments. Our modelling methodology includes simulations that reveal the energy input required to overcome the barrier to the onset of dimer toggling. The results show that the energy input to overcome this barrier is lower for the p(2 × 1) surface than that for the p(2 × 2) or c(4 × 2) surfaces.展开更多
We have studied the influence of probe-sample interaction in a scanning near-field optical microscopy （SNOM） in the far field by using samples with a step structure. For a sample with a step height of - λ/4, the SN...We have studied the influence of probe-sample interaction in a scanning near-field optical microscopy （SNOM） in the far field by using samples with a step structure. For a sample with a step height of - λ/4, the SNOM image contrast between the two sides of the step changes periodically at different scan heights. For a step height of-λ/2, the image contrast remains approximately the same. The probe-sample interaction determines the SNOM image contrast here. The influence of different refractive indices of the sample has been also analysed by using a simple theoretical model.展开更多
Scanning probe microscopes (SPM) are limited in their speed of data acquisition by the mechanical stability of the scanner. Therefore many types of scanners have been developed to achieve a rigid setup while maintaini...Scanning probe microscopes (SPM) are limited in their speed of data acquisition by the mechanical stability of the scanner. Therefore many types of scanners have been developed to achieve a rigid setup while maintaining an acceptable image size. We have followed here a different path to accelerate data acquisition by improving the feedback loop to achieve the same SPM image quality in a shorter time. While the feedback loop in a scanning probe microscope typically starts to probe a new pixel starting from the previous position, we have reduced the total control time by using an improved starting point for the feedback loop at each pixel. By exploiting the information of the already scanned pixels a forecast for the new pixel is created. We have successfully used several simple methods for a prognosis in MATLAB simulations like one dimensional linear or cubic extrapolation and others. Only scanning tunnelling microscope data from real experiments were used to test the forecasts. A doubling of the speed was achieved in the most favourable cases.展开更多
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51375363)
文摘Scanning ion conductance microscopy（SICM） is an emerging non-destructive surface topography characterization apparatus with nanoscale resolution. However, the low regulating frequency of probe in most existing modulated current based SICM systems increases the system noise, and has difficulty in imaging sample surface with steep height changes. In order to enable SICM to have the capability of imaging surfaces with steep height changes, a novel probe that can be used in the modulated current based bopping mode is designed. The design relies on two piezoelectric ceramics with different travels to separate position adjustment and probe frequency regulation in the Z direction. To fiarther improve the resonant frequency of the probe, the material and the key dimensions for each component of the probe are optimized based on the multi-objective optimization method and the finite element analysis. The optimal design has a resonant frequency of above 10 kHz. To validate the rationality of the designed probe, microstructured grating samples are imaged using the homebuilt modulated current based SICM system. The experimental results indicate that the designed high frequency probe can effectively reduce the spike noise by 26% in the average number of spike noise. The proposed design provides a feasible solution for improving the imaging quality of the existing SICM systems which normally use ordinary probes with relatively low regulating frequency.
基金Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant Nos.2016YFA0202300 and 2018YFA0305800)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.61888102,61474141,and 21661132006)+2 种基金the Young Scientists Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11604373)the Outstanding Youth Science Foundation,China(Grant No.61622116)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)(Grant Nos.XDB28000000 and XDB30000000)
文摘The adsorption configurations of molecules adsorbed on substrates can significantly affect their physical and chemical properties. A standing configuration can be difficult to determine by traditional techniques, such as scanning tunneling microscopy(STM) due to the superposition of electronic states. In this paper, we report the real-space observation of the standing adsorption configuration of phenylacetylene on Cu(111) by non-contact atomic force microscopy(nc-AFM).Deposition of phenylacetylene at 25 K shows featureless bright spots in STM images. Using nc-AFM, the line features representing the C–H and C–C bonds in benzene rings are evident, which implies a standing adsorption configuration. Further density functional theory(DFT) calculations reveal multiple optimized adsorption configurations with phenylacetylene breaking its acetylenic bond and forming C–Cu bond(s) with the underlying copper atoms, and hence stand on the substrate.By comparing the nc-AFM simulations with the experimental observation, we identify the standing adsorption configuration of phenylacetylene on Cu(111). Our work demonstrates an application of combining nc-AFM measurements and DFT calculations to the study of standing molecules on substrates, which enriches our knowledge of the adsorption behaviors of small molecules on solid surfaces at low temperatures.
基金supported by the "Communauté Franaise de Belgique-ARC 04/09-310"was done in the context of the EC VI FW international EXCELL Project
文摘The elastic indentation modulus and hardness of standard bulk materials and advanced thin films were determined by using the nanoindentation technique followed by the Oliver- Pharr post-treatment. After measurements with different loading/unloading schemes on chemically polished bulk titanium a substantial decrease of both modulus and hardness vs an increasing loading time was found. Then, hard nanostructured TiBN and TiCrBN thin films deposited by magnetron sputtering （using multiphase targets） on substrates of high roughness （sintered hard metal） and low roughness （silicon） were studied. Experimental modulus and hardness characterized by using two different nanoindenter tools were within the limits of standard deviation. However, a strong effect of roughness on the spread of the experimental values was observed and it was found that hardness and elastic indentation modulus obeyed a Gaussian distribution. The experimental data were discussed together with scanning probe microscopy （SPM） images of typical imprints taken after the nanoindentation tests and the local topographyls strong correlation with the results of nanoindentation was described.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51922056 and 51921005).
文摘Ferroelectric polymer nanocomposites possess exceptional electric properties with respect to the two otherwise uniform phases,which is commonly attributed to the critical role of the matrix-particle interfacial region.However,the structure-property correlation of the interface remains unestablished,and thus,the design of ferroelectric polymer nanocompos-ite has largely relied on the trial-and-error method.Here,a strategy that combines multi-mode scanning probe microscopy-based electrical charac-terization and nano-infrared spectroscopy is developed to unveil the local structure-property correlation of the interface in ferroelectric polymer nano-composites.The results show that the type of surface modifiers decorated on the nanoparticles can significantly influence the local polar-phase content and the piezoelectric effect of the polymer matrix surrounding the nano-particles.The strongly coupled polar-phase content and piezoelectric effect measured directly in the interfacial region as well as the computed bonding energy suggest that the property enhancement originates from the formation of hydrogen bond between the surface modifiers and the ferroelectric polymer.It is also directly detected that the local domain size of the ferroelectric polymer can impact the energy level and distribution of charge traps in the interfacial region and eventually influence the local dielectric strength.
文摘The microscopic physical properties of Hardened Cement Paste (HCP) surfaces were evaluated by using Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM). The cement pastes were cured under a hydrostatic pressure of 400 MPa and the contacting surfaces with a slide glass during the curing were studied. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) observation at a magnification of 7000 revealed smooth surfaces with no holes. The surface roughness calculated from the SPM measurement was 4 nm. The surface potential and the frictional force measured by SPM were uniform throughout the measured area 24 h after the curing. However, spots of low surface potential and stains of low frictional force and low viscoelasticity were observed one month after curing. This change was attributed to the carbonation of hydrates.
基金This project is supported by Foundation of National Education Ministry for Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars(No.2000367) an
文摘An experimental study on cutting amorphous alloy at nanometer scale is conducted by applying the principle and technology of scanning probe microscope(SPM) It is revealed from the experiments that cutting inside SPM is an excellent and direct way to research the material removal process at small size Based on the experimental results,the chip formation mechanism for the cutting of amorphous alloy is discussed It is found that the deformation along the direction of chip flow occurs ahead of the appearance of localized shear,and a simplified geometrical model is proposed to illustrate the deformation.
文摘The surface of a compact disk is analyzed by using SPM and the quantitative micromorphology analysissoftware SPMIAS developed by the author. Images at the same position but with different scanning ranges areobtained under the same experimental conditions. Micromorphology parameters are calculated and compared, andthe relationship between the changing of the scanning range and the changing of micromorphology parameters issummarized.
文摘By means of total energy calculations within the framework of the local density approximation (LDA), the interactions between a silicon Si(001) surface and a scanning probe are investigated. The tip of the probe, comprising 4 Si atoms scans along the dimer lines above an asymmetric p(2 × 1) surface, at a distance where the chemical interaction between tip-surface is dominant and responsible for image resolution. At that distance, the tip causes the dimer to toggle when it scans above the lower atom of a dimer. The toggled dimers create an alternating pattern, where the immediately adjacent neighbours of a toggled dimer remain unchanged. After the tip has fully scanned across the p(2 × 1) surface, causes the dimers to arrange in a p(2 × 2) reconstruction, reproducing the images obtained in scanning probe experiments. Our modelling methodology includes simulations that reveal the energy input required to overcome the barrier to the onset of dimer toggling. The results show that the energy input to overcome this barrier is lower for the p(2 × 1) surface than that for the p(2 × 2) or c(4 × 2) surfaces.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Grant Nos 90206003, 10374005, 10434020, 10521002, 10328407 and 90101027） and the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China （Grant No 20040001012）.
文摘We have studied the influence of probe-sample interaction in a scanning near-field optical microscopy （SNOM） in the far field by using samples with a step structure. For a sample with a step height of - λ/4, the SNOM image contrast between the two sides of the step changes periodically at different scan heights. For a step height of-λ/2, the image contrast remains approximately the same. The probe-sample interaction determines the SNOM image contrast here. The influence of different refractive indices of the sample has been also analysed by using a simple theoretical model.
文摘Scanning probe microscopes (SPM) are limited in their speed of data acquisition by the mechanical stability of the scanner. Therefore many types of scanners have been developed to achieve a rigid setup while maintaining an acceptable image size. We have followed here a different path to accelerate data acquisition by improving the feedback loop to achieve the same SPM image quality in a shorter time. While the feedback loop in a scanning probe microscope typically starts to probe a new pixel starting from the previous position, we have reduced the total control time by using an improved starting point for the feedback loop at each pixel. By exploiting the information of the already scanned pixels a forecast for the new pixel is created. We have successfully used several simple methods for a prognosis in MATLAB simulations like one dimensional linear or cubic extrapolation and others. Only scanning tunnelling microscope data from real experiments were used to test the forecasts. A doubling of the speed was achieved in the most favourable cases.
