The role of a tantalum interlayer in enhancing the properties of Fe₃O₄ thin films

• Hai Dang Ngo,
• Vo Doan Thanh Truong,
• Van Qui Le,
• Hoai Phuong Pham and
• Thi Kim Hang Pham

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1253–1259, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.101

• morphological, structural, and magnetic properties of the deposited samples were characterized with atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The polycrystalline Fe3O4 film grown on MgO/Ta/SiO2/Si(100) presented very interesting morphology and structure characteristics

• films on three different types of substrates, namely an amorphous SiO2/Si(100) substrate, a single crystal MgO(100) substrate, and a buffer layer consisting of MgO/Ta/SiO2/Si(100). The properties of Fe3O4 thin films were analyzed using atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and

• annealed at a temperature of 723 K for a duration of 2 h under a base pressure of 2.3 × 10−8 Torr. The Fe3O4 films were analyzed regarding their surface morphology, magnetic properties, and structural properties using atomic force microscopy (EasyScan2, Nanosurf), vibration sample magnetometry (Quantum

Local work function on graphene nanoribbons

• Daniel Rothhardt,
• Amina Kimouche,
• Tillmann Klamroth and
• Regina Hoffmann-Vogel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1125–1131, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.91

• exotic nature of the charge carriers and to local confinement as well as atomic-scale structural details. The local work function provides evidence for such structural, electronic, and chemical variations at surfaces. Kelvin prove force microscopy can be used to measure the local contact potential

• nanoribbons; Kelvin probe force microscopy; local contact potential difference; Introduction Graphene’s electronic properties are determined by its two-dimensionality as well as by its semimetallic gapless conical band structure [1]. Its electronic behavior depends strongly on the location of the Fermi level

• surfaces, all related to charge differences; for a review, see [14]. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), a method derived from scanning force microscopy (SFM), allows one to study the local work function difference of a sample with great accuracy and with atomic resolution [15][16][17][18][19][20]. In

Unveiling the potential of alginate-based nanomaterials in sensing technology and smart delivery applications

• Shakhzodjon Uzokboev,
• Khojimukhammad Akhmadbekov,
• Ra’no Nuritdinova,
• Salah M. Tawfik and
• Yong-Ill Lee

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1077–1104, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.88

• wall [60]. Another important morphological feature of polymers is the surface of the polymers, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be utilized to detect surface features of polymeric nanoparticles. It is very useful tool that offers high-resolution images in three dimensions at the nanometer scale

Signal generation in dynamic interferometric displacement detection

• Knarik Khachatryan,
• Simon Anter,
• Michael Reichling and
• Alexander von Schmidsfeld

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1070–1076, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.87

• . Keywords: amplitude calibration; displacement detection; force microscopy; interferometer signal; NC-AFM; Introduction Optical interferometry is a reliable technique utilizing light waves to measure distance and displacement with high precision [1][2]. With the light wavelength as the length standard, a

• highly stable interferometer can detect displacements with an accuracy far beyond nanometer resolution [3], where the final physical limit is set by the photon emission statistics of the light source [4]. In non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM), interferometry is used to measure the periodic

Exploring surface charge dynamics: implications for AFM height measurements in 2D materials

• Mario Navarro-Rodriguez,
• Andres M. Somoza and
• Elisa Palacios-Lidon

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 767–780, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.64

• Mario Navarro-Rodriguez Andres M. Somoza Elisa Palacios-Lidon Centro de Investigación en Óptica y Nanofísica (CIOyN), Department of Physics, University of Murcia, E-30100, Spain 10.3762/bjnano.15.64 Abstract An often observed artifact in atomic force microscopy investigations of individual

• [30]. This issue can be addressed with Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Under ambient conditions, the most common mode is amplitude modulation (AM-AFM), which uses the oscillation amplitude reduction as the input for the topography feedback. Its main aspects are summarized in [31]. At large free

• [23][24], or electrochemical properties [25] is a key topic of research. Factors such as flake size and shape, composition, density of defects, or doping significantly influence the response of 2D materials. Given the nanoscopic scale underlying the functionality of 2D materials, atomic force

Effect of repeating hydrothermal growth processes and rapid thermal annealing on CuO thin film properties

• Monika Ozga,
• Eunika Zielony,
• Aleksandra Wierzbicka,
• Anna Wolska,
• Marcin Klepka,
• Marek Godlewski,
• Bogdan J. Kowalski and
• Bartłomiej S. Witkowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 743–754, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.62

• crystalline quality of the films. The implementation of the HT+RTA procedure significantly enhances the potential of CuO films for electronic applications. Key findings from Kelvin probe force microscopy analysis demonstrate the possibility of modulating the work function of the material. In addition

• , which allowed for the investigation of both topography and electrical properties of the films. Surface topography analysis was performed by utilizing an atomic force microscopy (AFM) operating in Peak Force Tapping mode. The surface was scanned at a resolution of 1024 × 1024 measurement points using a

• resolution of 256 × 256 pixels presented in the paper were derived from the “SCM data” channel. Contact potential difference (VCPD) measurements were carried out using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) in amplitude modulation mode, also employing SCM-PIT-V2 probes from Bruker. These measurements were

Elastic modulus of β-Ga₂O₃ nanowires measured by resonance and three-point bending techniques

• Annamarija Trausa,
• Sven Oras,
• Sergei Vlassov,
• Mikk Antsov,
• Tauno Tiirats,
• Andreas Kyritsakis,
• Boris Polyakov and
• Edgars Butanovs

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 704–712, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.58

• the mechanical properties of Ga2O3 nanowires (NWs). In this work, we investigated the elastic modulus of individual β-Ga2O3 NWs using two distinct techniques – in-situ scanning electron microscopy resonance and three-point bending in atomic force microscopy. The structural and morphological properties

• finely controllable β-Ga2O3 NW synthesis methods and detailed post-examination of their mechanical properties before considering their application in future nanoscale devices. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; elastic modulus; gallium oxide; mechanical properties; nanowire; scanning electron microscopy

Enhancing higher-order modal response in multifrequency atomic force microscopy with a coupled cantilever system

• Wendong Sun,
• Jianqiang Qian,
• Yingzi Li,
• Yanan Chen,
• Zhipeng Dou,
• Rui Lin,
• Peng Cheng,
• Xiaodong Gao,
• Quan Yuan and
• Yifan Hu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 694–703, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.57

• , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China 10.3762/bjnano.15.57 Abstract Multifrequency atomic force microscopy (AFM) utilizes the multimode operation of cantilevers to achieve rapid high-resolution imaging and extract multiple properties. However, the higher-order modal response of

• , including increasing the modal frequency of the original cantilever and generating additional resonance peaks, demonstrating the significant potential of the coupled system in various fields of AFM. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; coupled system; higher-order modes; macroscale; multifrequency AFM

• ; Introduction Multifrequency atomic force microscopy (AFM) has become an important tool for nanoscale imaging and characterization [1][2]. This technique involves the excitation and detection of multiple frequencies to improve data acquisition speed, sensitivity, and resolution, as well as to enable material

Gold nanomakura: nanoarchitectonics and their photothermal response in association with carrageenan hydrogels

• Nabojit Das,
• Vikas,
• Akash Kumar,
• Sanjeev Soni and
• Raja Gopal Rayavarapu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 678–693, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.56

• incorporation into k-CG hydrogel beads. Transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy measurements The actual mean size of the synthesized makura-shaped nanoparticles was calculated in terms of length/width aspect ratio. Figure 4 shows transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force

• microscopy (AFM) micrographs of CTAB-AuNM, MTAB-AuNM, and DTAB-AuNM, respectively. A total number of 50 nanoparticles were considered for the aspect ratio measurement as shown in Table 2. The analysis was performed using the ImageJ software (NIH, USA). Figure 4d–f shows AFM images of the AuNMs along with

Comparative analysis of the ultrastructure and adhesive secretion pathways of different smooth attachment pads of the stick insect Medauroidea extradentata (Phasmatodea)

• Julian Thomas,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Thies H. Büscher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 612–630, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.52

AFM-IR investigation of thin PECVD SiO_x films on a polypropylene substrate in the surface-sensitive mode

• Hendrik Müller,
• Hartmut Stadler,
• Teresa de los Arcos,
• Adrian Keller and
• Guido Grundmeier

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 603–611, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.51

• /bjnano.15.51 Abstract Thin silicon oxide films deposited on a polypropylene substrate by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition were investigated using atomic force microscopy-based infrared (AFM-IR) nanospectroscopy in contact and surface-sensitive mode. The focus of this work is the comparison of

• Photothermal AFM-IR nanospectroscopy is a technique that combines the chemical information from infrared (IR) spectroscopy with the high spatial resolution of atomic force microscopy (AFM). For this, the sample is illuminated with a tunable IR laser [1]. When a suitable IR wavelength is chosen, resonant

Stiffness calibration of qPlus sensors at low temperature through thermal noise measurements

• Laurent Nony,
• Sylvain Clair,
• Daniel Uehli,
• Aitziber Herrero,
• Jean-Marc Themlin,
• Andrea Campos,
• Franck Para,
• Alessandro Pioda and
• Christian Loppacher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 580–602, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.50

• University, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, FSCM (FR1739), CP2M, 13397 Marseille, France 10.3762/bjnano.15.50 Abstract Non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) offers a unique experimental framework for topographical imaging of surfaces with atomic and/or sub-molecular resolution. The technique also permits

• the framework focuses on a particular kind of sensor, it may be adapted to any high-k, high-Q nc-AFM probe used under similar conditions, such as silicon cantilevers and LERs. Keywords: low temperature; non-contact atomic force microscopy; qPlus sensors; quartz tuning fork; stiffness calibration

• ; thermal noise; ultrahigh vacuum; Introduction Since the 2000s, non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) has established itself as a scanning probe method for the topographical, chemical, and electrical mapping of the surface of a sample down to the atomic scale [1][2][3]. When used in an ultrahigh

Electron-induced deposition using Fe(CO)₄MA and Fe(CO)₅ – effect of MA ligand and process conditions

• Hannah Boeckers,
• Atul Chaudhary,
• Petra Martinović,
• Amy V. Walker,
• Lisa McElwee-White and
• Petra Swiderek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 500–516, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.45

• nanostructures produced by FEBID are of interest for diverse applications including magnetic data storage devices [4][5][6], tips for magnetic force microscopy [4][7], or sensors [4][8]. The same applies to cobalt nanostructures, which can be prepared with high purity and shape fidelity using, in particular, the

Unveiling the nature of atomic defects in graphene on a metal surface

• Karl Rothe,
• Nicolas Néel and
• Jörg Kröger

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 416–425, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.37

• bond with the microscope probe is reflected by the strongest attraction at the vacancy center as well as by hysteresis effects in force traces recorded for tip approach to and retraction from the Pauli repulsion range of vertical distances. Keywords: atomic force microscopy and spectroscopy; graphene

• following. Atomic force microscopy and spectroscopy findings Figure 2 compares constant-height AFM topographs of the defects (Figure 2a,c) with simultaneously recorded current maps of the same defects (Figure 2b,d). The tip–surface distance for the AFM and current maps was defined by the tip excursions

Investigating ripple pattern formation and damage profiles in Si and Ge induced by 100 keV Ar⁺ ion beam: a comparative study

• Indra Sulania,
• Harpreet Sondhi,
• Tanuj Kumar,
• Sunil Ojha,
• G R Umapathy,
• Ambuj Mishra,
• Ambuj Tripathi,
• Richa Krishna,
• Devesh Kumar Avasthi and
• Yogendra Kumar Mishra

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 367–375, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.33

• using atomic force microscopy, and induced damage profiles inside Si and Ge by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. The ripple wavelength was found to scale with ion fluence, and energetic ions created more defects inside Si as compared to that of Ge. Although

• clustering of defects leads to a subsequent increase of the damage peak in irradiated samples (for an ion fluence of ≈9 × 1017 ions/cm2) compared to that in unirradiated samples. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; ion beam; nanopatterns; radiation damage; Rutherford backscattering spectrometry; transmission

• in the TEM sample preparation lab at IUAC, New Delhi. Results and Discussion Atomic force microscopy studies Energetic ions, of a few hundreds of kiloelectronvolts, from the ion implanters modify the surface of the target material to grow nanopatterns. The surfaces of the pristine and ion-treated

Controllable physicochemical properties of WO_x thin films grown under glancing angle

• Rupam Mandal,
• Aparajita Mandal,
• Alapan Dutta,
• Rengasamy Sivakumar,
• Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava and
• Tapobrata Som

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 350–359, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.31

• uniformity. WSxM software was used to carry out AFM image analysis. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) was used to study the local work function of the WOx films. WOx samples were removed from the high-vacuum environment right before the KPFM measurements to avoid any contamination in air. For KPFM

Determining by Raman spectroscopy the average thickness and N-layer-specific surface coverages of MoS₂ thin films with domains much smaller than the laser spot size

• Felipe Wasem Klein,
• Jean-Roch Huntzinger,
• Vincent Astié,
• Damien Voiry,
• Romain Parret,
• Houssine Makhlouf,
• Sandrine Juillaguet,
• Jean-Manuel Decams,
• Sylvie Contreras,
• Périne Landois,
• Ahmed-Azmi Zahab,
• Jean-Louis Sauvajol and
• Matthieu Paillet

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 279–296, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.26

• . However, atomic force microscopy revealed that they are constituted of nanoflakes (with a lateral size of typically 50 nm) with possibly a distribution of thicknesses. Furthermore, depending on the synthesis conditions, the MoS2 surface coverage can be incomplete, and the thin film average thickness can

Design, fabrication, and characterization of kinetic-inductive force sensors for scanning probe applications

• August K. Roos,
• Ermes Scarano,
• Elisabet K. Arvidsson,
• Erik Holmgren and
• David B. Haviland

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 242–255, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.23

• -induced deposition of platinum. Finally, we present measurements that characterize the spread of mechanical resonant frequency, the temperature dependence of the microwave resonance, and the sensor’s operation as an electromechanical transducer of force. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; force sensing

• . Acknowledgements We thank the Quantum-Limited Atomic Force Microscopy (QAFM) team for fruitful discussions: T. Glatzel, M. Zutter, E. Tholén, D. Forchheimer, I. Ignat, M. Kwon, and D. Platz. Funding The European Union Horizon 2020 Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Grant Agreement No. 828966 — QAFM and the

• August K. Roos Ermes Scarano Elisabet K. Arvidsson Erik Holmgren David B. Haviland Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Hannes Alfvéns väg 12, SE-114 19 Stockholm, Sweden 10.3762/bjnano.15.23 Abstract We describe a transducer for low-temperature atomic force

Quantitative wear evaluation of tips based on sharp structures

• Ke Xu and
• Houwen Leng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 230–241, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.22

• Ke Xu Houwen Leng School of Electrical & Control Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China 10.3762/bjnano.15.22 Abstract To comprehensively study the influence of atomic force microscopy (AFM) scanning parameters on tip wear, a tip wear assessment method based on sharp

• scanning frequency and free amplitude, and a set point of approximately 0.2, resulting in clear, high-quality AFM images. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; estimated tip diameter; scanning parameter; tip reconstruction; tip wear; Introduction AFM is a commonly used multifunctional technology in

Graphene removal by water-assisted focused electron-beam-induced etching – unveiling the dose and dwell time impact on the etch profile and topographical changes in SiO₂ substrates

• Aleksandra Szkudlarek,
• Jan M. Michalik,
• Inés Serrano-Esparza,
• Zdeněk Nováček,
• Veronika Novotná,
• Piotr Ozga,
• Czesław Kapusta and
• José María De Teresa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 190–198, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.18

• provides information about the degree of damage caused by this method. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements reveal important aspects of topographical changes induced in the substrate and help to establish optimized conditions for the etching process. Results The fundamentals of water-assisted FEBIE

• those with similar characteristics, allowing us to distinguish between irradiated and nonirradiated areas of the graphene layer and evaluate the etching results. Atomic force microscopy Precise surface analysis of etched structures can be performed by AFM. We used a unique AFM LiteScope from NenoVision

CdSe/ZnS quantum dots as a booster in the active layer of distributed ternary organic photovoltaics

• Gabriela Lewińska,
• Piotr Jeleń,
• Zofia Kucia,
• Maciej Sitarz,
• Łukasz Walczak,
• Bartłomiej Szafraniak,
• Jerzy Sanetra and
• Konstanty W. Marszalek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 144–156, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.14

• relations of refractive indices and extinction coefficient were investigated. The morphologies of the thin films were studied with atomic force microscopy. The chemical boundaries of the ternary layers were determined by Raman spectroscopy. Based on UPS studies, the energy diagram of the potential devices

• observed in our study. Atomic force microscopy Surface examinations of the sample mixtures were performed. Figure 7 illustrates the surface morphology in a two-dimensional format. Three-dimensional images of the surface are in Supporting Information File 1, Figure S1. The roughness profile parameters for

Enhanced feedback performance in off-resonance AFM modes through pulse train sampling

• Mustafa Kangül,
• Navid Asmari,
• Santiago H. Andany,
• Marcos Penedo and
• Georg E. Fantner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 134–143, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.13

• Mustafa Kangul Navid Asmari Santiago H. Andany Marcos Penedo Georg E. Fantner Laboratory for Bio- and Nano-Instrumentation, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne CH-1015, Switzerland 10.3762/bjnano.15.13 Abstract Dynamic atomic force microscopy (AFM) modes that operate

• rate and therefore enables higher scan rates while refining the mechanical property mapping. Keywords: atomic force microscopy (AFM); feedback control; off-resonance tapping (ORT); pulsed-force mode; Introduction Constant force mode, a widely used AFM imaging mode, utilizes a feedback controller that

TEM sample preparation of lithographically patterned permalloy nanostructures on silicon nitride membranes

• Joshua Williams,
• Michael I. Faley,
• Joseph Vimal Vas,
• Peng-Han Lu and
• Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1–12, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.1

• in Py nanodisks [1][2] with independent polarity and helicity [3]. Since then, many studies have been done on manipulating magnetic vortices inside Py nanodisks using micromagnetic simulations [4][5][6] and a variety of magnetic measurement techniques including magnetic force microscopy [7

unDrift: A versatile software for fast offline SPM image drift correction

• Tobias Dickbreder,
• Franziska Sabath,
• Lukas Höltkemeier,
• Ralf Bechstein and
• Angelika Kühnle

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1225–1237, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.101

• force microscopy; calibration; drift correction; image correlation functions; periodic structures; scanning probe microscopy; Introduction In science and technology, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques are widely used to study the structure and properties of surfaces and interfaces from the

Determination of the radii of coated and uncoated silicon AFM sharp tips using a height calibration standard grating and a nonlinear regression function

• Perawat Boonpuek and
• Jonathan R. Felts

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1200–1207, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.99

• . However, this method yields an accurate estimate of the tip radius with a low root mean squared error of the curve fitting results. Keywords: AFM tip calibration; nonlinear regression curve fitting; Introduction Atomic force microscopy (AFM) with a sharp tip is typically used to characterize