Ar⁺ implantation-induced tailoring of RF-sputtered ZnO films: structural, morphological, and optical properties

• Manu Bura,
• Divya Gupta,
• Arun Kumar and
• Sanjeev Aggarwal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 872–886, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.66

• in grazing incidence angle X-ray diffraction patterns. Atomic force microscopy images show grain size reduction and a fall in the surface roughness value of films after implantation. The implantation-induced structural modifications are further correlated with the variation in diffuse reflectance

• using a WITec alpha300 RA Raman spectrometer under excitation with a 532 nm solid-state diode laser operated at 10 mW. The topography of the films is examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM) with a Bruker Multimode 8 instrument. The surface morphology of pristine and implanted films is further

• ) mode both at the Γ and K–M points of the Brillouin zone shows softening and broadening with increasing argon ion fluence. Also, enhancement in peak intensity of both the peaks reveals the increases in lattice defects with increasing ion fluence. Morphological analysis Atomic force microscopy The

Thickness dependent oxidation in CrCl₃: a scanning X-ray photoemission and Kelvin probe microscopies study

• Shafaq Kazim,
• Rahul Parmar,
• Maryam Azizinia,
• Matteo Amati,
• Muhammad Rauf,
• Andrea Di Cicco,
• Seyed Javid Rezvani,
• Dario Mastrippolito,
• Luca Ottaviano,
• Tomasz Klimczuk,
• Luca Gregoratti and
• Roberto Gunnella

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 749–761, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.58

• particular technological interest, even more in the case of chromium trihalides (CrX3, X = Cl, Br, and I), whose longer lifetime under ambient conditions is particularly intriguing. By using synchrotron-based scanning photoelectron microscopy with a resolution of 0.1 μm and Kelvin probe force microscopy, we

• oxidation or the introduction of surface vacancies, a novel and versatile approach is unveiled for the development of low-dimensional multifunctional nanodevices. Keywords: chemical mapping; CrX3; Kelvin probe force microscopy; mechanical exfoliation; scanning photoelectron microscopy (SPEM); two

• correlation between the microscopic results and the surface potential of CrCl3 flakes at the nanoscale level using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) [28]. KPFM is mainly employed to measure the local contact potential difference between the conductive AFM tip and the sample, allowing for high-resolution

Nanostructured materials characterized by scanning photoelectron spectromicroscopy

• Matteo Amati,
• Alexey S. Shkvarin,
• Alexander I. Merentsov,
• Alexander N. Titov,
• María Taeño,
• David Maestre,
• Sarah R. McKibbin,
• Zygmunt Milosz,
• Ana Cremades,
• Rainer Timm and
• Luca Gregoratti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 700–710, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.54

• suitable substrates for characterization by scanning probe microscopy and SPEM. An atomic force microscopy (AFM) image of a typical InP p–n junction nanowire is shown in Figure 2a, confirming a homogeneous shape with a nanowire length of about 2.5 µm and a diameter of about 200 nm, fluctuating only by a

High-temperature epitaxial growth of tantalum nitride thin films on MgO: structural evolution and potential for SQUID applications

• Michelle Cedillo Rosillo,
• Oscar Contreras López,
• Jesús Antonio Díaz,
• Agustín Conde Gallardo and
• Harvi A. Castillo Cuero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 690–699, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.53

• , atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analyses revealed that the TaN films exhibit excellent crystallinity and smooth surface morphology, when deposited at optimal temperatures of 750 and 850 °C. The films exhibit superconducting transition temperatures (Tc) ranging from 5.0 to

• . Atomic force microscopy (AFM, XE-70 Park Systems) in contact mode was used to study the surface morphology of the films. The synthesis protocol used in this study was modified from the work reported by Quintanar-Zamora et al. [15] by varying the substrate temperature and the nitrogen pressure. Results

The impact of tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane hole transport layer doping on interfacial charge extraction and recombination

• Konstantinos Bidinakis and
• Stefan A. L. Weber

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 678–689, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.52

• in solar cells based on these materials. To do so on operating solar cells, we created samples with exposed cross-sections and examined their potential profile distributions with Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), implementing our comprehensive measurement protocol. Using the Lewis acid tris

• ; hole transport layer doping; Kelvin probe force microscopy; perovskite solar cells; Introduction Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are a promising class of photovoltaic material that exhibits high power conversion efficiencies and relies on a low-cost solution-processed fabrication method [1][2][3][4]. At

• force microscopy (KPFM) is an important tool for conducting such studies, enabling the measurement of the perovskite’s surface potential by monitoring the electrostatic force between the surface and a conductive probe (See Supporting Information File 1, Section 1). This measurement can provide insights

Nanoscale capacitance spectroscopy based on multifrequency electrostatic force microscopy

• Pascal N. Rohrbeck,
• Lukas D. Cavar,
• Franjo Weber,
• Peter G. Reichel,
• Mara Niebling and
• Stefan A. L. Weber

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 637–651, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.49

• of Mainz, Staudingerweg 7, 55128 Mainz, Germany Institute for Photovoltaics, University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 47, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.16.49 Abstract We present multifrequency heterodyne electrostatic force microscopy (MFH-EFM) as a novel electrostatic force microscopy

• , enabling the measurement of the local dielectric function over a wide range of frequencies. We demonstrate the reliable operation of MFH-EFM using standard atomic force microscopy equipment plus an external lock-in amplifier up to a frequency of 5 MHz, which can in principle be extended to gigahertz

• nanoscale systems across materials science, biology, and nanotechnology, complementing established methods in the field. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; capacitance gradients; dielectric constant; dielectric spectroscopy; heterodyne frequency mixing; Kelvin probe force microscopy; multifrequency AFM

Electron beam-based direct writing of nanostructures using a palladium β-ketoesterate complex

• Chinmai Sai Jureddy,
• Krzysztof Maćkosz,
• Aleksandra Butrymowicz-Kubiak,
• Iwona B. Szymańska,
• Patrik Hoffmann and
• Ivo Utke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 530–539, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.41

• Oxford Instruments. EDX was performed with 6 keV electron beam at 500 pA, and the signals were collected for 60 s. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements were conducted on an NT-MDT NTEGRA Spectra system, and data was analyzed using Gwyddion and Origin software. To accurately obtain the composition

N₂⁺-implantation-induced tailoring of structural, morphological, optical, and electrical characteristics of sputtered molybdenum thin films

• Usha Rani,
• Kafi Devi,
• Divya Gupta and
• Sanjeev Aggarwal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 495–509, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.38

• the same nominal film thickness after implantation. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; grazing angle X-ray diffractometer; Keithley parametric analyzer; Mo thin films; RF sputtering; spectroscopic ellipsometry; Introduction Molybdenum thin films have garnered significant attention in diverse

• of 1.5405 Å. Measurements were conducted with a fixed incident angle of 0.5°, and the X-ray tube was operated at 40 kV and 40 mA. The surface morphology was analyzed using a Bruker Multimode-8 atomic force microscopy (AFM). The optical characteristics of the molybdenum thin films were analyzed using

Performance optimization of a microwave-coupled plasma-based ultralow-energy ECR ion source for silicon nanostructuring

• Joy Mukherjee,
• Safiul Alam Mollick,
• Tanmoy Basu and
• Tapobrata Som

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 484–494, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.37

• confirm the formation of nanostructures as observed from atomic force microscopy (AFM) images. The thickness of the amorphous thin layer is in good agreement with Monte Carlo simulations (SRIM) [31]. The article further investigates and explains the optical response (by UV–vis spectrometry) of the

ReactorAFM/STM – dynamic reactions on surfaces at elevated temperature and atmospheric pressure

• Tycho Roorda,
• Hamed Achour,
• Matthijs A. van Spronsen,
• Marta E. Cañas-Ventura,
• Sander B. Roobol,
• Willem Onderwaater,
• Mirthe Bergman,
• Peter van der Tuijn,
• Gertjan van Baarle,
• Johan W. Bakker,
• Joost W. M. Frenken and
• Irene M. N. Groot

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 397–406, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.30

• , capable of studying materials under industrially relevant conditions. Here we show current developments of the ReactorAFM/STM, implementing a qPlus sensor to add the ability of combining atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) techniques to study the geometric and electronic

• conductive substrate limits STM techniques in relevant industrial applications involving such more complex catalysts. For this reason, an atomic force microscopy (AFM) version of the high-pressure STM employing a quartz tuning fork (QTF) was introduced to overcome this limitation [16]. Unlike STM, which uses

Tailoring of physical properties of RF-sputtered ZnTe films: role of substrate temperature

• Kafi Devi,
• Usha Rani,
• Arun Kumar,
• Divya Gupta and
• Sanjeev Aggarwal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 333–348, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.25

• the optical bandgap of the films can be tuned from 1.47 ± 0.02 eV to 3.11 ± 0.14 eV. The surface morphology of the films studied using atomic force microscopy reveals that there is uniform grain growth on the surface. Various morphological parameters such as roughness, particle size, particle density

• ) spectrophotometer under 320 nm excitation produced by a xenon arc lamp. For investigating the surface topography, atomic force microscopy (AFM) micrographs of ZnTe/Qz films were recorded (scan area 2 × 2 µm2) using a Bruker multimode-8 AFM in the ScanAsyst mode at the Ion Beam Centre, Kurukshetra University. The

Graphene oxide–chloroquine conjugate induces DNA damage in A549 lung cancer cells through autophagy modulation

• Braham Dutt Arya,
• Sandeep Mittal,
• Prachi Joshi,
• Alok Kumar Pandey,
• Jaime E. Ramirez-Vick,
• Govind Gupta and
• Surinder P. Singh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 316–332, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.24

• ][51]. Further, the morphology and topography of GO nanosheets were analyzed employing atomic force microscopy. Supporting Information File 1, Figure S2 reveals the appearance of few layered interlocked GO nanosheets, and the topographical analysis reveals the thickness in the range of 0.6 to 1.06 nm

• GO and GO–Chl nanoconjugate via UV–vis, FTIR, Raman Spectroscopy, FESEM, and HRTEM. Figure S2 shows the atomic force microscopy-based topographical analysis of GO nanosheets. Figure S3 represents the XPS survey spectra of GO, GO–Chl, and Chl. Table S1 shows the summary of fitting parameters for the

Enhancing mechanical properties of chitosan/PVA electrospun nanofibers: a comprehensive review

• Nur Areisman Mohd Salleh,
• Amalina Muhammad Afifi,
• Fathiah Mohamed Zuki and
• Hanna Sofia SalehHudin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 286–307, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.22

• , which can adversely affect mechanical performance. Besides SEM and FESEM, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has the additional ability to visualize fiber cross sections and can be employed to examine core–shell, encapsulated, and particle-incorporated fiber structures [112][145][146]. Atomic force

• microscopy has been used to investigate morphology as well as the nanomechanical properties of individual fibers, including magnetization, friction, and mechanical strength [147]. These imaging techniques are critical for linking the mechanical behavior to the microstructure of the fibers. Based on fiber

Probing the potential of rare earth elements in the development of new anticancer drugs: single molecule studies

• Josiane A. D. Batista,
• Rayane M. de Oliveira,
• Carlos H. M. Lima,
• Milton L. Lana Júnior,
• Virgílio C. dos Anjos,
• Maria J. V. Bell and
• Márcio S. Rocha

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 187–194, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.15

• , Minas Gerais, Brazil Departamento de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Federal do Acre, Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil 10.3762/bjnano.16.15 Abstract We use optical tweezers and atomic force microscopy to investigate the potential of rare earth elements to be used as anticancer agents in the development of new

• extracted as well, providing robust information about the effects of the rare earths on the DNA double helix [19][16]. In addition, atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging assays were also performed to confirm DNA compaction/condensation by erbium and neodymium, allowing for a direct visualization of these

• parameters and the local persistence lengths are left as adjustable parameters to be determined from the fit. The details of this methodology can be found in [19][21]. Atomic force microscopy assays The samples for atomic force microscopy (AFM) assays consist of 3 kbp DNA molecules (ThermoFischer Scientific

Advanced atomic force microscopy techniques V

• Philipp Rahe,
• Ilko Bald,
• Nadine Hauptmann,
• Regina Hoffmann-Vogel,
• Harry Mönig and
• Michael Reichling

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 54–56, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.6

• 10.3762/bjnano.16.6 Keywords: AFM; atomic force microscopy; conductivity; drift correction; force spectroscopy; NC-AFM; non-contact atomic force microscopy; resistivity; tip–surface interaction; With the restrictions on travelling and social distancing lifted, we were delighted to continue two series of

• meetings on atomic force microscopy (AFM), the 23rd International Conference on Non-Contact Atomic Force Microscopy (NC-AFM) held in Nijmegen (Netherlands) and the 6th International Workshop on Advanced Atomic Force Microscopy Techniques held in Potsdam (Germany). The strong advance in the field and the

• high quality of the presentations motivated us to establish this thematic issue in the Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology for compiling the latest results on developments and applications of atomic force microscopy techniques. Atomic force microscopy, a technique soon celebrating its 40th anniversary

Natural nanofibers embedded in the seed mucilage envelope: composite hydrogels with specific adhesive and frictional properties

• Agnieszka Kreitschitz and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1603–1618, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.126

• atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), SEM, or cryo-SEM [45][57][63][64][65][66]. Very often, the procedures for preparing mucilage envelope samples can destroy and/or influence the organisation of polysaccharides, making the analysis of spatial structure of the mucilage

A biomimetic approach towards a universal slippery liquid infused surface coating

• Ryan A. Faase,
• Madeleine H. Hummel,
• AnneMarie V. Hasbrook,
• Andrew P. Carpenter and
• Joe E. Baio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1376–1389, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.111

• force microscopy (AFM), sum frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Measuring static water contact angles is a straightforward method to determine the relative wettability of a material and allows for a quick check if our surface modifications were successful

• measurements were conducted with the sessile drop method. Droplets of 5 µL were pipetted onto the surface, and an image was captured. Eight images from two duplicates of each sample type were acquired on a smartphone device and processed in ImageJ (NIH). Atomic force microscopy AFM was conducted on a Veeco di

Interaction of graphene oxide with tannic acid: computational modeling and toxicity mitigation in C. elegans

• Romana Petry,
• James M. de Almeida,
• Francine Côa,
• Felipe Crasto de Lima,
• Diego Stéfani T. Martinez and
• Adalberto Fazzio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1297–1311, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.105

• complete characterization of the GO sample is available in [36]. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to assess size, morphology, number of layers, and surface chemistry of GO. The GO sample used in this study consists of single layers with

• Agency (EPA), herein named EPA medium, in absence and presence of TA. Atomic force microscopy AFM has been extensively used to characterize the distribution and morphology of biomolecules on the surface of nanomaterials, especially 2D materials [37]. Figure 1a and Figure 1b show AFM images of GO sheets

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