Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “atomic force microscopy”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,297 records · Page 72
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Asymmetric packaging of polymerases within vesicular stomatitis virus

Highlights: •The VSV polymerases (L proteins) are localized to the blunt end of the virus. •The VSV phosphoproteins (P proteins) are localized to the blunt end of the virus. •Each VSV virion packages a variable number of P and L proteins. -- Abstract: Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a prototypic negative sense single-stranded RNA virus. The bullet-shape appearance of the virion results from tightly wound helical turns of the nucleoprotein encapsidated RNA template (N-RNA) around a central cavity. Transcription and replication require polymerase complexes, which include a catalytic subunit L and a template-binding subunit P. L and P are inferred to be in the cavity, however lacking direct observation, their exact position has remained unclear. Using super-resolution fluorescence imaging and atomic force microscopy (AFM) on single VSV virions, we show that L and P are packaged asymmetrically towards the blunt end of the virus. The number of L and P proteins varies between individual virions and they occupy 57 ± 12 nm of the 150 nm central cavity of the virus. Our finding positions the polymerases at the opposite end of the genome with respect to the only transcriptional promoter.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2013

Pinhole mediated electrical transport across LaTiO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} and LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} oxide hetero-structures

Metal-insulator-metal configuration of LaTiO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} and LaAlO{sub 3}/SrTiO{sub 3} hetero-structures between two dimensional electron gas formed at the interface and different area top electrodes is employed for Conductive Atomic force microscopy (CAFM) imaging, Current–Voltage (I-V), and Capacitance-Voltage (C-V) spectroscopy. Electrode area dependent I-V characteristics are observed for these oxide hetero-structures. With small area electrodes, rectifying I-V characteristics are observed, compared to, both tunneling and leakage current characteristics for large area electrodes. CAFM mapping confirmed the presence of pinholes on both surfaces. Resultant I-V characteristics have a contribution from both tunneling and leakage due to pinholes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Formation of ordered films of axially bridged aluminum phthalocyanine [(tBu){sub 4}PcAl]{sub 2}O via magnetic field-induced reaction

The μ-(oxo)bis[tetra-tert-butylphthalocyaninato] aluminum(III) [(tBu){sub 4}PcAl]{sub 2}O films with the crystallites oriented preferably in one direction were obtained via chemical transformation of tetra-tert-butylsubstituted chloroaluminum(III) phthalocyanine (tBu){sub 4}PcAlCl film upon its annealing in magnetic field. A comparative analysis of the influence of post-deposition annealing process without and under applied magnetic field of 1 T, on the orientation and morphology of (tBu){sub 4}PcAlCl and [(tBu){sub 4}PcAl]{sub 2}O films, has been carried out by the methods of UV-vis, Infrared and Raman spectroscopies, XRD as well as atomic force microscopy. The formation of [(tBu){sub 4}PcAl]{sub 2}O films with elongated crystallites having preferential orientation was observed upon heating of the films in magnetic field while annealing without magnetic field under the same conditions does not demonstrate any effect on the structure and morphology of these films. The reasons of the sensitivity of this reaction to the presence of such magnetic field is discussed and studied by electronic paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2015

Epitaxial Ni-Mn-Ga-Co thin films on PMN-PT substrates for multicaloric applications

Multicaloric stacks consisting of a magnetocaloric film on a piezoelectric substrate promise improved caloric properties as the transition temperature can be controlled by both magnetic and electric fields. We present epitaxially grown magnetocaloric Ni-Mn-Ga-Co thin films on ferroelectric Pb(Mg{sub 1/3}Nb{sub 2/3}){sub 0.72}Ti{sub 0.28}O{sub 3} substrates. Structure and microstructure of two samples, being in the austenitic and martensitic state at room temperature, are investigated by X-ray diffraction in two- and four-circle geometry and by atomic force microscopy. In addition, high temperature magnetometry was performed on the latter sample. The combination of these methods allows separating the influence of epitaxial growth and martensitic transformation. A preferential alignment of twin boundaries is observed already in the as-deposited state, which indicates the presence of prestress, without applying an electric field to the substrate. A temperature-magnetic field phase diagram is presented, which demonstrates the inverse magnetocaloric effect of the epitaxial Ni-Mn-Ga-Co film.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Photodetectors based on single-walled carbon nanotubes and thiamonomethinecyanine J-aggregates on flexible substrates

The present paper is devoted to observations of the photoresistive effect in multilayer structures with a sensitive layer of J-aggregates of thiamonomethinecyanine polymethine dye and a transparent electrode of a conductive carbon-nanotube network on a flexible polyethylenenaphtalate substrate. The effect of narrow-band emission with a wavelength of 465 nm on a change in the conductivity of the fabricated structures is studied. The prepared samples are studied by atomic-force microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and spectrophotometry methods. It is shown that these structures are photosensitive to the indicated spectral region, and the dye layer is a film of dye J-aggregates. The change in the sample conductivity upon exposure to light one hundred times exceeds the dark conductivity. In general, the principal possibility of developing a photoresistive detector based on J-aggregates of cyanine dyes on flexible supports on account of the use of transparent and conductive carbon-nanotube layers is shown.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

Chemical structure of vanadium-based contact formation on n-AlN

We have investigated the chemical interaction between a Au/V/Al/V layer structure and n-type AlN epilayers using soft x-ray photoemission, x-ray emission spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. To understand the complex processes involved in this multicomponent system, we have studied the interface before and after a rapid thermal annealing step. We find the formation of a number of chemical phases at the interface, including VN, metallic vanadium, aluminum oxide, and metallic gold. An interaction mechanism for metal contact formation on the entire n-(Al,Ga)N system is proposed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

Compositional evolution of SiGe islands on patterned Si (001) substrates

The authors investigate, by atomic-force-microscopy-based nanotomography, the composition evolution of ordered SiGe islands grown on pit-patterned Si (001) substrates as their size and aspect ratio increase with increasing Ge deposition. Compared to islands grown on flat substrates, the ordered island arrays show improved size, shape, and compositional homogeneity. The three-dimensional composition profiles of individual pyramids, domes, and barns reveal that the Ge fraction at the base and in subsurface regions of the islands decreases with increasing amount of deposited Ge.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2011

Surface enhanced Raman scattering of aged graphene: Effects of annealing in vacuum

In this paper, we report a simple method to recover the surface enhanced Raman scattering activity of aged graphene. The Raman signals of Rhodamine molecules absorbed on aged graphene are dramatically increased after vacuum annealing and comparable to those on fresh graphene. Atomic force microscopy measurements indicate that residues on aged graphene surface can efficiently be removed by vacuum annealing, which makes target molecule closely contact with graphene. We also find that the hole doping in graphene will facilitate charge transfer between graphene and molecule. These results confirm the strong Raman enhancement of target molecule absorbed on graphene is due to the charge transfer mechanism.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Influence of the pH value of a colloidal gold solution on the absorption spectra of an LSPR-assisted sensor

The localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPRs) of gold particles assembled on a crystal plate are a powerful tool for biological sensors. Here, we prepare gold colloids in different pH solutions. We monitor the effects of the particle radius and particle coverage on the absorption spectra of AT-cut (r-face dihedral angle of about 3°) crystal plates supporting gold nanoparticles. The surface morphologies were monitored on silicon dioxide substrates using ultraviolet and visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results showed that the gold particle coverage decreases with increasing pH value of the gold colloid solution. This phenomenon demonstrates that self-assembled gold surfaces were formed via the electrostatic adsorption of gold particles on the positively charged, ionized amino groups on the crystal plates in the acidic solution. The spectrum of gold nanoparticles with different coverage degree on the crystal plates showed that the LSPR properties are highly dependent on pH.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

The process of EDC-NHS cross-linking of reconstituted collagen fibres increases collagen fibrillar order and alignment

We describe the production of collagen fibre bundles through a multi-strand, semi-continuous extrusion process. Cross-linking using an EDC (1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide), NHS (N-hydroxysuccinimide) combination was considered. Atomic Force Microscopy and Raman spectroscopy focused on how cross-linking affected the collagen fibrillar structure. In the cross-linked fibres, a clear fibrillar structure comparable to native collagen was observed which was not observed in the non-cross-linked fibre. The amide III doublet in the Raman spectra provided additional evidence of alignment in the cross-linked fibres. Raman spectroscopy also indicated no residual polyethylene glycol (from the fibre forming buffer) or water in any of the fibres.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

Note: Compact and light displacement sensor for a precision measurement system in large motion

We developed a compact and light displacement sensor applicable to systems that require wide range motions of its sensing device. The proposed sensor utilized the optical pickup unit of the optical disk drive, which has been used applied to atomic force microscopy (AFM) because of its compactness and lightness as well as its high performance. We modified the structure of optical pickup unit and made the compact sensor driver attachable to a probe head of AFM to make large rotation. The feasibilities of the developed sensor for a general probe-moving measurement device and for probe-rotating AFM were verified. Moreover, a simple and precise measurement of alignment between centers of rotator and probe tip in probe-rotation AFM was experimentally demonstrated using the developed sensor.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2016

Evolution of nanodot morphology on polycarbonate (PC) surfaces by 40 keV Ar{sup +}

In the present paper we have discussed the effect of 40 keV Ar{sup +} ions irradiation on nanoscale surface morphology of Polycarbonate (PC) substrate. Specimens were sputtered at off normal incidences of 30°, 40° and 50° with the fluence of 1 × 10{sup 16} Ar{sup +}cm{sup −2}. The topographical behaviour of specimens was studied by using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) technique. AFM study demonstrates the evolution of nano dot morphology on PC specimens on irradiating with 1 × 10{sup 16} Ar{sup +}cm{sup −2}. Average size of dots varied from 37-95 nm in this specified range of incidence while density of dots varied from 0.17-3.0 × 107 dotscm{sup −2}. Such variations in morphological features have been supported by estimation of ion range and sputtering yield through SRIM simulations.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2015

Ultrathin polycrystalline 6,13-Bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)-pentacene films

Ultrathin (<6 nm) polycrystalline films of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene (TIPS-P) are deposited with a two-step spin-coating process. The influence of spin-coating conditions on morphology of the resulting film was examined by atomic force microscopy. Film thickness and RMS surface roughness were in the range of 4.0–6.1 and 0.6–1.1 nm, respectively, except for small holes. Polycrystalline structure was confirmed by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction measurements. Near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure measurements suggested that the plane through aromatic rings of TIPS-P molecules was perpendicular to the substrate surface.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Fabrication and optical properties of non-polar III-nitride air-gap distributed Bragg reflector microcavities

Using the thermal decomposition technique, non-polar III-nitride air-gap distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) microcavities (MCs) with a single quantum well have been fabricated. Atomic force microscopy reveals a locally smooth DBR surface, and room-temperature micro-photoluminescence measurements show cavity modes. There are two modes per cavity due to optical birefringence in the non-polar MCs, and a systematic cavity mode shift with cavity thickness was also observed. Although the structures consist of only 3 periods (top) and 4 periods (bottom), a quality factor of 1600 (very close to the theoretical value of 2100) reveals the high quality of the air-gap DBR MCs.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Trifluoromethylation of graphene

We demonstrate trifluoromethylation of graphene by copper-catalyzed free radical reaction. The covalent addition of CF{sub 3} to graphene, which changes the carbon atom hybridization from sp{sup 2} to sp{sup 3}, and modifies graphene in a homogeneous and nondestructive manner, was verified with Raman spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals that CF{sub 3} groups are grafted to the basal plane of graphene, with about 4 at. % CF{sub 3} coverage. After trifluoromethylation, the average resistance increases by nearly one order of magnitude, and an energy gap of about 98 meV appears. The noninvasive and mild reaction to synthesize trifluoromethylated graphene paves the way for graphene's applications in electronics and biomedical areas.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2013

Low-temperature atomic layer deposition of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} on blown polyethylene films with plasma-treated surfaces

In this study, a layer of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} was deposited on blown polyethylene films by atomic layer deposition (ALD) at low temperatures, and the surface characteristics of these Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-coated blown polyethylene films were analyzed. In order to examine the effects of the plasma treatment of the surfaces of the blown polyethylene films on the properties of the films, both untreated and plasma-treated film samples were prepared under various processing conditions. The surface characteristics of the samples were determined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, as well as by measuring their surface contact angles. It was confirmed that the surfaces of the plasma-treated samples contained a hydroxyl group, which helped the precursor and the polyethylene substrate to bind. ALD of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} was performed through sequential exposures to trimethylaluminum and H{sub 2}O at 60 Degree-Sign C. The surface morphologies of the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}-coated blown polyethylene films were observed using atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. Further, it was confirmed that after ALD, the surface of the plasma-treated film was covered with alumina grains more uniformly than was the case for the surface of the untreated polymer film. It was also confirmed via the focused ion beam technique that the layer Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} conformed to the surface of the blown polyethylene film.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Growth mode evolution of hafnium oxide by atomic layer deposition

HfO{sub 2} thin films were deposited using tetrakis-ethylmethylamido hafnium and H{sub 2}O as precursors on silicon by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The morphology and microstructures at different ALD cycles were characterized by atomic force microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Based on the height–height correlation function and power spectral density function, quantitative analysis of surface morphologies was performed. Three characteristic dimensions (ξ{sub 1}, ξ{sub 2}, and ξ{sub 3}) corresponding to three surface structures, islands, local and global fluctuations, were identified. The evolution of ALD growth mode at range of the three critical scales was investigated, respectively. It suggests the transformation of growth mode from quasi two-dimensional layer-by-layer to three-dimensional island for global fluctuations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

The effect of annealing temperature on the electrical characterization of Co/n type GaP Schottky diode

The Co/n-GaP nano-Schottky diodes have been fabricated to investigate effect of annealing temperature on the characteristics of the device. DC Magnetron sputtering technique has been used for Co metallic contact. The samples have been annealed for three minutes at 400 °C and 600 °C. XRD analyzes of the devices subjected to thermal annealing process have been investigated. Surface images have been taken with atomic force microscopy (AFM) in order to examine the morphology of the surface of the metal layer before and after the annealing the sample. The current–voltage (I–V) measurements taken at room temperature have shown that the ideality factor and series resistance decrease with the increasing annealing temperature. The ideality factor was found to be 1.02 for sample annealed at 400 °C. Before and after annealing, depending on the temperature measurement, the capacitance–frequency (C–f), and conductance–frequency (G–f) have been measured, and graphs have been plotted.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗