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

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