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

• nitrogen pressure between 10 and 90 mTorr. The experiment was performed in a laser ablation system “RIBER LDM 32”. It consists of three stainless steel ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) chambers for sample introduction, PLD deposition, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, isolated by UHV gate valves

Colloidal few layered graphene–tannic acid preserves the biocompatibility of periodontal ligament cells

• Teissir Ben Ammar,
• Naji Kharouf,
• Dominique Vautier,
• Housseinou Ba,
• Nivedita Sudheer,
• Philippe Lavalle and
• Vincent Ball

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 664–677, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.51

• mW emission from a YAG laser source with an MPC600 PSU quantum laser to excite the samples. The XPS measurements were conducted in an ultrahigh vacuum setup (base pressure 5 × 10−9 mbar) comprising several interconnected chambers. The analysis chamber features a RESOLVE 120 MCD5 hemispherical

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

• lens is employed. The shape and size of the beam are contingent on the extraction voltage applied at the grid and the corresponding ion energy. The directed beam impacts the silicon target kept in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) within the target chamber. A Faraday cup, connected to a multimeter, measures the

• exploring optimal parameters to achieve stable and intense beam currents. The cost-effectiveness and versatility of this ion source make it particularly noteworthy, offering a practical solution for generating reasonable beam currents. The ion source operates within an ultrahigh-vacuum environment

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

• structure of materials under reaction conditions. We demonstrate this by imaging a Pd(100) single crystal at 450 K with combined AFM/STM. The surface is compared under ultrahigh vacuum and under 0.5 bar O2 pressure showing a notable increase in RMS current, which we attribute to oxidation. Also, we study

• relevant conditions. While much research has been conducted at room temperatures (or below) and under ambient to ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions, industrial conditions expose catalysts to 1000 K and beyond in pressures ranging from ambient to 100 bar [1][2]. This difference in pressure, which influences

Ion-induced surface reactions and deposition from Pt(CO)₂Cl₂ and Pt(CO)₂Br₂

• Mohammed K. Abdel-Rahman,
• Patrick M. Eckhert,
• Atul Chaudhary,
• Johnathon M. Johnson,
• Jo-Chi Yu,
• Lisa McElwee-White and
• D. Howard Fairbrother

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1427–1439, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.115

• 10.3762/bjnano.15.115 Abstract Ion beam-induced deposition (IBID) using Pt(CO)2Cl2 and Pt(CO)2Br2 as precursors has been studied with ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) surface science techniques to provide insights into the elementary reaction steps involved in deposition, complemented by analysis of deposits formed

• sublimes at 35–40 °C at 125 mTorr. 13C NMR (C6D6, 400 MHz) δ 151.71 (1JC–Pt = 1562 Hz); IR (toluene, Figure S1, Supporting Information File 1) νco: 2077, 2118 cm−1. UHV studies Experiments were performed in a stainless-steel ultrahigh vacuum system as described elsewhere [21]. Briefly, a cooled tantalum

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

• ) substrates were prepared by immersing them in a methanol bath at a temperature of 60 °C and drying them in N2 gas flow. Subsequently, the purified substrates were moved into an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber and underwent a pre-heating process at 600 °C for 30 min in order to eliminate any remaining

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

• bandgap [12], which is also related to the work function. GNRs can be synthesized with atomic precision in an ultrahigh-vacuum environment using on-surface synthesis [13]. This synthesis is well known on coinage metals, namely, Cu, Ag, and Au, which possess a high electron density. To study these unique

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

• dominated by higher-frequency oscillations. Exemplary waveforms are shown schematically below in Figure 4. Results and Discussion The interferometer used for our experiments is part of a custom-built NC-AFM, operated under ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) conditions [14]. The cantilever is a highly reflective (Rc

Water-assisted purification during electron beam-induced deposition of platinum and gold

• Cristiano Glessi,
• Fabian A. Polman and
• Cornelis W. Hagen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 884–896, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.73

• was monitored in ultrahigh vacuum by mass spectrometry, leading to the detection of both gaseous CO and CH4 species [45]. The production of these two volatile species is ascribed to two different processes: (i) for CH4 the removal of trapped species and (ii) for CO the electron-induced hydration of

Electron-induced ligand loss from iron tetracarbonyl methyl acrylate

• Hlib Lyshchuk,
• Atul Chaudhary,
• Thomas F. M. Luxford,
• Miloš Ranković,
• Jaroslav Kočišek,
• Juraj Fedor,
• Lisa McElwee-White and
• Pamir Nag

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 797–807, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.66

• . Interesting differences also appear when this precursor is compared to structurally similar iron pentacarbonyl. The present findings shed light on the recent electron-induced chemistry of Fe(CO)4MA on a surface under ultrahigh vacuum. Keywords: electron collision; focused electron beam-induced deposition

• ultrahigh-vacuum conditions [8]. The deposits had an Fe/C/O composition similar to those obtained from Fe(CO)5, which was surprising since the methyl acrylate ligand has a high carbon content. This opens a fundamental question of how much can a change in one ligand change the outcome of electron-induced

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

• little precision. An accurate stiffness calibration is therefore mandatory if accurate force measurements are targeted. In nc-AFM, the probe may either be a silicon cantilever, a quartz tuning fork (QTF), or a length extensional resonator (LER). When used in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) and at low temperature

• ; 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

• -vacuum (UHV) system and at, or close to, liquid helium temperature (4–10 K, LT UHV), the method allows for the direct characterization of individual molecules with intramolecular contrast [4], opening up the field of studying on-surface reactions [5] or tip-induced chemistry [6]. The method also makes it

Directed growth of quinacridone chains on the vicinal Ag(35 1 1) surface

• Niklas Humberg,
• Lukas Grönwoldt and
• Moritz Sokolowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 556–568, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.48

• temperatures, the periodic step edges lead to a preferential growth of two distinct orientations out of four. Furthermore, we observed the growth of one, hitherto not described, azimuthal chain orientation parallel to the Ag step edges. Experimental The experiments were conducted in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber

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

• [5]. Notably, when the FEBID process is performed under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions instead of the usual high vacuum conditions prevalent in SEMs, deposits with purities up to 95 atom % Fe can be obtained from Fe(CO)5 [21]. Also, the well-controlled environment of such UHV studies revealed that

Superconducting spin valve effect in Co/Pb/Co heterostructures with insulating interlayers

• Andrey A. Kamashev,
• Nadir N. Garif’yanov,
• Aidar A. Validov,
• Vladislav Kataev,
• Alexander S. Osin,
• Yakov V. Fominov and
• Ilgiz A. Garifullin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 457–464, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.41

• the magnetization of the Co1 layer. The layers were deposited using electron beam evaporation (Co, Pb) and AC sputtering (Si3N4). The deposition setup had a load-lock station with vacuum shutters, allowing one to transfer the sample holder without breaking the ultrahigh vacuum in the deposition

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

• of defects. Experimental A combined STM-AFM was operated in ultrahigh vacuum (5 × 10−9 Pa) and at low temperature (5 K). Surfaces of Ir(111) were cleaned by Ar+ ion bombardement and annealing. The epitaxial growth of graphene proceeded by exposing the heated (1300 K) Ir(111) surface to the gaseous

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

• monocrystalline silicon. A WITec Alpha 300 M+ spectrometer with a 488 nm laser, 600 groove grating, and a 100× ZEISS objective was used for Raman measurements. The samples were deposited on a glass substrate. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) was conducted in an ultrahigh-vacuum chamber with a base

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

• velocity. In Figure 4a,b, we show two consecutive AFM images of a calcium fluoride (111) surface recorded under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The periodic structures observed in these two raw-data images (see red unit cells in Figure 4a,b) show a striking difference compared to each other and compared to

• optimized lattices as found by unDrift are shown as red lines. Only the centers of the autocorrelations are shown. (a, b) Two consecutive up images recorded with high-resolution AFM on calcite(10.4) in ultrahigh vacuum. The images show several defects, whose positions are marked with colored crosses in both

• the corresponding drift-corrected images are shown on the right side. In all images, the unit cell used for drift correction is shown as a red quadrangle. Images (a–d) show the atomic structure of calcium fluoride (111) recorded with high-resolution AFM in ultrahigh vacuum. Images (e–h) and (j–m) were

A combined gas-phase dissociative ionization, dissociative electron attachment and deposition study on the potential FEBID precursor [Au(CH₃)₂Cl]₂

• Elif Bilgilisoy,
• Ali Kamali,
• Thomas Xaver Gentner,
• Gerd Ballmann,
• Sjoerd Harder,
• Hans-Peter Steinrück,
• Hubertus Marbach and
• Oddur Ingólfsson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1178–1199, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.98

• composition and morphology of FEBID deposits fabricated in an ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) chamber were explored on different surfaces and at varied beam currents. In the gas phase, dissociative ionization was found to lead to significant carbon loss from this precursor, and about 50% of the chlorine was on average

• ; quantum chemical calculation; ultrahigh vacuum; Introduction In recent years, gold nanostructures have received much attention owing to their dielectric properties [1], their biocompatibility [2], and their electrical properties [3][4], which enable a multitude of exciting applications in the field of

• . [26] under the term focused-electron-beam-induced mass spectrometry (FEBiMS). In this approach, ion-extraction mass spectrometry, in close proximity to the forming FEBID structure, is used to analyze the charged, desorbing ligand fragments. Another approach in this direction is to combine ultrahigh

Dual-heterodyne Kelvin probe force microscopy

• Benjamin Grévin,
• Fatima Husainy,
• Dmitry Aldakov and
• Cyril Aumaître

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1068–1084, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.88

• applications of KPFM are extremely broad. It is now used by physicists, chemists, and biologists to characterize the nanoscale electronic/electrostatic properties of an ever-expanding range of materials, interfaces, and devices, in ambient conditions, under ultrahigh vacuum, or at the liquid–substrate

Two-dimensional molecular networks at the solid/liquid interface and the role of alkyl chains in their building blocks

• Suyi Liu,
• Yasuo Norikane and
• Yoshihiro Kikkawa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 872–892, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.72

• flat conducting substrates, such as metal surfaces and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions, at solid/air or solid/liquid interfaces [23][24][25][26][27][28]. Although UHV-STM offers high-resolution imaging, it requires large, complex, and expensive

N-Heterocyclic carbene-based gold etchants

• Robert B. Chevalier,
• Justin Pantano,
• Matthew K. Kiesewetter and
• Jason R. Dwyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 865–871, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.71

• attachment of NHCs to gold and the properties of the corresponding monolayers have been studied using conventional surface science techniques under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions [13][14]. NHC monolayers have also been used in applications such as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and surface plasmon

Cross-sectional Kelvin probe force microscopy on III–V epitaxial multilayer stacks: challenges and perspectives

• Mattia da Lisca,
• José Alvarez,
• James P. Connolly,
• Nicolas Vaissiere,
• Karim Mekhazni,
• Jean Decobert and
• Jean-Paul Kleider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 725–737, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.59

• paragraph, KPFM measurements can be performed in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) at an optimal surface–tip distance of the order of a few nanometres [34] with particular attention to the sample preparation either in the deoxidation and cleaving process. Effect of the illumination on the VCPD In the Results section

Evaluation of electrosynthesized reduced graphene oxide–Ni/Fe/Co-based (oxy)hydroxide catalysts towards the oxygen evolution reaction

• Karolina Cysewska,
• Marcin Łapiński,
• Marcin Zając,
• Jakub Karczewski,
• Piotr Jasiński and
• Sebastian Molin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 420–433, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.34

• obtained on an ultrahigh vacuum spectrophotometer at a pressure below 1.1 × 10−8 mbar at room temperature (Omicron NanoTechnology). Photoelectrons were detected by a spectrophotometer equipped with a 128-channel collector. The X-ray anode was operated at 15 keV and 300 W. The chemical composition

Intermodal coupling spectroscopy of mechanical modes in microcantilevers

• Ioan Ignat,
• Bernhard Schuster,
• Jonas Hafner,
• MinHee Kwon,
• Daniel Platz and
• Ulrich Schmid

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 123–132, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.13

• coherent bimodal drive to amplify the signal of the fundamental mode. Both increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the measurement, creating opportunity for either improved sensitivity or increased speed. Furthermore, sideband cooling has a secondary use in ultrahigh-vacuum AFM as a tool for controlling the

From a free electron gas to confined states: A mixed island of PTCDA and copper phthalocyanine on Ag(111)

• Alfred J. Weymouth,
• Emily Roche and
• Franz J. Giessibl

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1572–1577, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.131

• Measurements were carried out in a He-bath scanning probe microscope (CreaTec Fischer & Co. GmbH) and were acquired in ultrahigh vacuum at 5.6 K. Ag(111) (Mateck GmbH) was prepared with standard sputter and anneal cycles. The PTCDA and CuPc were evaporated from a custom-built evaporator. A detailed description