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Kelvin probe force microscopy work function characterization of transition metal oxide crystals under ongoing reduction and oxidationMon Jan 20 2020

Published new post (Kelvin probe force microscopy work function characterization of transition metal oxide crystals under ongoing reduction and oxidation) on NANOSENSORS™ Blog Controlling the work function of transition metal oxides is of key importance with regard to future energy production and storage. As the majority of applications involve the use of heterostructures, the most suitable characterization technique is Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), which provides excellent energetic and lateral resolution.* In their study “Kelvin probe force microscopy work function characterization of transition metal oxide crystals under ongoing reduction and oxidation» Dominik Wrana, Karol Cieślik, Wojciech Belza, Christian Rodenbücher, Krzysztof Szot and Franciszek Krok present the advantages and limitations of the FM-KPFM technique using the example of a newly discovered TiO/SrTiO3(100) (metal/insulator) heterostructure, which has potentially high technological relevance.* In the same article a combined conductivity and work function study from the same surface area is presented, showing the possibility of obtaining full information on the electronic properties when the KPFM technique is accompanied by local conductivity atomic force microscopy (LC-AFM).* The authos present the measurement of the crystalline TiO work function and its dependence on the gaseous pressure of air using Kelvin probe force microscopy. In order to ensure reproducible FM-KPFM results, two different types of AFM cantilevers were used: NANOSENSORS™ PointProbe® Plus PPP-ContPt (PtIr-coated) https://www.nanosensors.com/pointprobe-plus-contact-mode-pt… and NANOSENSORS™ Platinum Silicide PtSi-FM.* https://www.nanosensors.com/platinum-silicide-force-modulat… Such cantilevers are widely used as conducting tips in a contact mode AFM, allowing for a high lateral resolution in conductivity measurements. The remarkable mechanical stability of the selected cantilevers allowed for the noncontact mode measurements (with a Kelvin loop) using the very same tip, maintaining oscillations at the higher harmonics of the fundamental frequency (≈75 kHz). Hence, in order to record current and CPD maps from the very same sample area, KPFM measurements were first performed with the soft cantilever forced to oscillate at higher harmonics, then the tip was retracted tens of nanometers from the surface, all feedback loops were turned down and a contact mode AFM scan was performed when approached with a single loop maintaining a deflection set point of 10–30 mV. The high conductivity of both TiO and STO materials enabled a low sample bias of +1 mV for the LC-AFM measurements to be used.* Please have a look at the NANOSENSORS blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #KPFM #ScanningKelvinProbeMicroscopy #SrTiO3 #原子間力顕微鏡 #AFMプローブ

More papers on High Speed Atomic Force Microscopy – list of references updatedTue Jan 14 2020

New post - More papers on High Speed Atomic Force Microscopy – list of references updated (https://www.nanoworld.com/…/more-papers-on-high-speed-atom…/) has been published on NanoWorld Blog. We have updated our list of articles in the field of High-Speed AFM (HS-AFM) on the www.highspeedscanning.com website. If you would like to see what has been going on recently in the field of High-Speed AFM (HS-AFM) then you are welcome to have a look at: http://www.highspeedscanning.com/hs-afm-references.html We are aware that this list is far from complete so if you have used one of our Ultra-Short Cantilevers (USC) for high speed atomic force microscopy in the research for your publication and your article isn’t listed yet then please let us know. We will be happy to add it to the list. #ScanningProbeMicroscopy #UltrafastScanning #highspeedAFM #molecularbiology #lifescience

Real time dynamics of Gating-Related conformational changes in CorAMon Jan 13 2020

New post - Real time dynamics of Gating-Related conformational changes in CorA (https://www.nanoworld.com/…/real-time-dynamics-of-gating-r…/) has been published on NanoWorld® Blog. Magnesium (Mg2+) is a key divalent cation in biology. It regulates and maintains numerous, physiological functions such as nucleic acid stability, muscle contraction, heart rate and vascular tone, neurotransmitter release, and serves as cofactor in a myriad of enzymatic reactions. Most importantly, it coordinates with ATP, and is thus crucial for energy production in mitochondria.* In order to store Mg2+ in the mitochondrial lumen it is imported via Mrs2 and Alr2 ion channels that are closely related to CorA, the main Mg2+-importer in bacteria. Although these Mg2+-transport proteins do not show much sequence conservation, they all share two trans-membrane domains (TMDs) with the signature motif Glycine-Methionine-Asparagine (GMN) at the extracellular loop.* CorA, a divalent-selective channel in the metal ion transport superfamily, is the major Mg2+-influx pathway in prokaryotes. CorA structures in closed (Mg2+-bound), and open (Mg2+-free) states, together with functional data showed that Mg2+-influx inhibits further Mg2+-uptake completing a regulatory feedback loop. While the closed state structure is a symmetric pentamer, the open state displayed unexpected asymmetric architectures.* In the article “Real time dynamics of Gating-Related conformational changes in CorA” Martina Rangl, Nicolaus Schmandt, Eduardo Perozo and Simon Scheuring used high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), to explore the Mg2+-dependent gating transition of single CorA channels: HS-AFM movies during Mg2+-depletion experiments revealed the channel’s transition from a stable Mg2+-bound state over a highly mobile and dynamic state with fluctuating subunits to asymmetric structures with varying degree of protrusion heights from the membrane.* Their data shows that at Mg2+-concentration below Kd, CorA adopts a dynamic (putatively open) state of multiple conformations that imply structural rearrangements through hinge-bending in TM1. They also discuss how these structural dynamics define the functional behavior of this ligand-dependent channel.* All Atomic Force Microscopy experiments described in the article were performed using NanoWorld Ultra-Short Cantilevers USC-F1.2-k0.15 for high-speed Atomic Force Microscopy ( HS-AFM ). Videos of CorA membranes were recorded with imaging rates of ~1–2 frames s−1 and at a resolution of 0.5 nm pixel−1. https://www.nanoworld.com/Ultra-Short-Cantilevers-USC-F1.2-… Please have a look at the NanoWorld blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #molecularbiology #videorateAFM #AtomicForceMicroscopy

MikroMasch® New PosterThu Jan 09 2020

Discover new worlds at the nanoscale with MikroMasch® AFM Probes! Get our new 2020 free poster here: https://www.spmtips.com/ #AtomicForceMicroscopy #AFMProbe

On-chip integration of single solid-state quantum emitters with a SiO2 photonic platformWed Jan 08 2020

Published new post (On-chip integration of single solid-state quantum emitters with a SiO2 photonic platform) on NANOSENSORS™ Blog One important building block for future integrated nanophotonic devices is the scalable on-chip interfacing of single photon emitters and quantum memories with single optical modes.* In the article “On-chip integration of single solid-state quantum emitters with a SiO2 photonic platform” Florian Böhm, Niko Nikolay, Christoph Pyrlik, Jan Schlegel, Andreas Thies, Andreas Wicht,Günther Tränkle and Oliver Benson present the deterministic integration of a single solid-state qubit, the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, with a photonic platform consisting exclusively of SiO2grown thermally on a Si substrate.* The platform stands out by its ultra-low fluorescence and the ability to produce various passive structures such as high-Q micro resonators and mode-size converters. By numerical analysis an optimal structure for the efficient coupling of a dipole emitter to the guided mode could be determined. Experimentally, the integration of a preselected NV emitter was performed with an atomic force microscope and the on-chip excitation of the quantum emitter as well as the coupling of single photons to the guided mode of the integrated structure could be demonstrated. The authors approach shows the potential of this platform as a robust nanoscale interface of on-chip photonic structures with solid-state qubits.* After optically verifying the successful placement of the nanodiamond hosting a single nitrogen-vacancy ( NV ) center by performing a confocal scan, the article describes how the nanoparticle is pushed to the inner edge of the rib waveguide in a subsequent step, using a NANOSENSORS™ AdvancedTEC™ ATEC-NC tip-view AFM probe.* https://www.nanosensors.com/advanced-tip-at-the-end-of-the-… Please have a look at the NANOSENSORS blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #AFMプローブ #AtomicForceMicroscopy #走査型走査型プローブ顕微鏡

Happy and Prosperous 2020 from the nanotools Team!Wed Jan 08 2020

Happy and Prosperous 2020 from the nanotools Team!

Have fun! All the best to you in 2020!Mon Dec 30 2019

Season's Greetings from the whole NanoWorld team!Mon Dec 23 2019

New post - Season’s Greetings from the whole NanoWorld® team! (https://www.nanoworld.com/…/seasons-greetings-from-the-who…/) has been published on NanoWorld® Blog. The whole team at NanoWorld AFM probes wishes you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! #HappyHolidays #AFMprobes #SeasonsGreetings2019 #nanoscience #AFMプローブ

Merry Christmas and happy 2020 from BudgetSensors®Mon Dec 23 2019

Season's Greetings from NANOSENSORS™ AFM probesFri Dec 20 2019

Published new post (Season’s Greetings from NANOSENSORS™ AFM probes) on NANOSENSORS™ Blog The first reindeer have been spotted! This is a sure sign that it is again time to wish all users of our AFM probes Happy Holidays! We are looking forward to another year with you. First reindeer spotted in the foggy park! Enjoy the holiday season! #christmasseason #AtomicForceMicroscopy #SPMプローブ

Magnetic reversal in perpendicularly magnetized antidot arrays...Mon Dec 16 2019

New post - Magnetic reversal in perpendicularly magnetized antidot arrays with intrinsic and extrinsic defects (https://www.nanoworld.com/…/magnetic-reversal-in-perpendic…/) has been published on NanoWorld Blog.
Defects can significantly affect performance of nanopatterned magnetic devices, therefore their influence on the material properties has to be understood well before the material is used in technological applications. However, this is experimentally challenging due to the inability of the control of defect characteristics in a reproducible manner.*

In “Magnetic reversal in perpendicularly magnetized antidot arrays with intrinsic and extrinsic defects» Michal Krupinski, Pawel Sobieszczyk, Piotr Zieliński and Marta Marszałek construct a micromagnetic model, which accounts for intrinsic and extrinsic defects associated with the polycrystalline nature of the material and with corrugated edges of nanostructures.*

The findings described in their article show that magnetic properties and domain configuration in nanopatterned systems are strongly determined by the defects, the heterogeneity of the nanostructure sizes and edge corrugations, and that such imperfections play a key role in the processes of magnetic reversal.*

The magnetic imaging described in the article cited above was performed using NanoWorld MFMR AFM probes for magnetic force microscopy (MFMR). https://www.nanoworld.com/pointprobe-magnetic-force-microsc…

Please have a look at the NanoWorld blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #ferromagnetism #MagneticProperties #AtomicForceMicroscopy

Single layer graphene induces load-bearing molecular layering at...Wed Dec 11 2019

Published new post (Single layer graphene induces load-bearing molecular layering at the hexadecane-steel interface) on NANOSENSORS Blog

Carbon-based layers play an important role in boundary lubrication, from graphite as commercial solid lubricant in a spray can over diamond-like carbon coatings in automotive industries all the way to graphitic layers found in metal-metal hip implants. With increasing availability of graphene, the two-dimensional building block of graphite, its possible role in lubrication is being explored. *

After the discovery of friction and wear reduction on steel surfaces by graphene in a variety of environments, graphene is now emerging as new lubricant. Polymer composites with graphene exhibit improved tribological properties due to wear reduction by efficient transfer layers. The composite approach has been successfully extended to multilayers of polymer and graphene. The use of graphene as additive in formulated lubricant oils is also promising after functionalization to improve solubility. *

In their letter “Single layer graphene induces load-bearing molecular layering at the hexadecane-steel interface” G. Krämer, C. Kim, K-S. Kim and R. Bennewitz report experimental results for fundamental lubrication properties of the interface between a hexadecane model lubricant and a steel surface modified by a single layer graphene. Using high-resolution force microscopy, they quantify that the reduction of friction on graphene is connected to an ordered layer of adsorbed hexadecane molecules and that the graphene induces an ordering in molecular layers in the confined liquid above graphene patches. *

A single layer of graphene on steel surfaces causes a change in the near-surface structure of the model lubricant hexadecane. Hexadecane adsorbs in an ordered layer aligned straight molecules, and this layer is stable under scanning in contact with the tip of an atomic force microscope, while no such layer is observed on the steel substrate. Graphene and hexadecane layer reduce friction at the nanoscale by a factor of three compared to the bare steel in hexadecane. *

All AFM measurements described in this letter were performed using a NANOSENSORS™ PointProbe® Plus PPP-CONTR AFM probe at room temperature with a home-built fluid cell where the cantilever was fully immersed in hexadecane.* https://www.nanosensors.com/pointprobe-plus-contact-mode-af…

Please have a look at the NANOSENSORS blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #graphene #hexadecane #polymers #lubricants #AFM

Flexible Robust and High‐Density FeRAM from Array of Organic Ferroelectric Nano‐Lamellae by Self‐AssemblyTue Dec 10 2019

New post - Flexible Robust and High‐Density FeRAM from Array of Organic Ferroelectric Nano‐Lamellae by Self‐Assembly (https://www.nanoworld.com/…/flexible-robust-and-high%e2%80…/) has been published on NanoWorld® Blog. Ferroelectric memories are endowed with high data storage density by nanostructure designing, while the robustness is also impaired. For organic ferroelectrics favored by flexible memories, low Curie transition temperature limits their thermal stability.* In their article “Flexible Robust and High‐Density FeRAM from Array of Organic Ferroelectric Nano‐Lamellae by Self‐Assembly “ Mengfan Guo, Jianyong Jiang, Jianfeng Qian, Chen Liu, Jing Ma, Ce‐Wen Nan and Yang Shen demonstrate that a ferroelectric random access memory ( FeRAM ) with high thermal stability and data storage density of ≈60 GB inch−2 could be achieved from an array of edge‐on nano‐lamellae by low‐temperature self‐assembly of P(VDF‐TrFE).* The self‐assembled P(VDF‐TrFE) described in the article exhibits high storage density of 60 GB inch−2 as a prototype of flexible FeRAM. The authors experimentally determine the self‐assembled FeRAM stored data more robustly, with temperature endurance enhanced over 10 °C and reliable thermal cycling ability. The article shows a novel path to address the thermal stability issues in organic FeRAMs and presents a detailed analysis about the origin of enhanced performance in aligned P(VDF‐TrFE). * NanoWorld® Arrow-CONTPt AFM probes with a conducting Pt/Ir coating were used for the Piezoresponse Force Microscopy ( PFM ) measurements described in this article.https://www.nanoworld.com/contact-mode-platinum-coated-afm-… Please have a look at the NanoWorld® blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #ferroelectrics #polymers #materialsresearch #AFMprobes

Thank you all for visiting our NanoAndMore USA booth 612 MRS Fall Exhibit 2019Fri Dec 06 2019

Last chance to secure your free NANOSENSORS™ Fun Gratings and free NanoWorld Arrow-NCR AFM ProbesThu Dec 05 2019

Last chance to secure your free NANOSENSORS™ Fun Gratings and free NanoWorld Arrow-NCR #AFMprobes sample today from 10:00 am—1:30 pm @NanoAndMore USA booth no. 612 @Materials_MRS Fall Exhibit 2019 #atomicforcemicroscopy #F19MRS #materialsscience

Get your free NANOSENSORS™ Fun Grating at booth 612 at MRS Fall 2019Wed Dec 04 2019

Published new post (Get your free NANOSENSORS Fun Grating at booth 612 at MRS Fall 2019) on NANOSENSORS™ Blog Next year NANOSENSORS™ will celebrate its 30th anniversary. We are starting off the celebrations by giving away NANOSENSORS™ Fun Gratings especially created for this occasion at NanoAndMore USA booth no. 612 @Materials_MRS Fall Exhibit 2019 this week. https://www.nanosensors.com/fungrating Pick up your grating, switch on the AFM, start scanning, discover the images that are hidden in the grating and celebrate 30 years of NANOSENSORS™ high quality AFM probes with us. Pick up NANOSENSORS™ Fun Gratings at NanoAndMore USA booth #ScanningProbeMicroscopy #AFM #nanotechnology

Get 5 FREE NanoWorld™ Arrow-NCR AFM probes at booth 612 MRS Fall ExhibitWed Dec 04 2019

The MRS Fall 2019 exhibit will be open today from 11 amTue Dec 03 2019

We are often asked whether our ElectriCont-G probes are suitable for Conductive AFMMon Dec 02 2019

MRS Fall Exhibit 2019 in BostonMon Dec 02 2019