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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.

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At least 1,351 records · Page 75
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2013

Deposition and characterization of molybdenum thin films using dc-plasma magnetron sputtering

Molebdenum (Mo) thin films were deposited on well-cleaned soda-lime glass substrates using DC-plasma magnetron sputtering. In the design of experiment deposition was optimized for maximum beneficial characteristics by monitoring effect of process variables such as deposition power (100–200 W). Their electrical, structural and morphological properties were analyzed to study the effect of these variables. The electrical resistivity of Mo thin films could be reduced by increasing deposition power. Within the range of analyzed deposition power, Mo thin films showed a mono crystalline nature and the crystallites were found to have an orientation along [110] direction. The surface morphology of thin films showed that a highly dense micro structure has been obtained. The surface roughness of films increased with deposition power. The adhesion of Mo thin films could be improved by increasing the deposition power. Atomic force microscopy was used for the topographical study of the films and to determine the roughness of the films. X-ray diffractrometer and scanning electron microscopy analysis were used to investigate the crystallinity and surface morphology of the films. Hall effect measurement system was used to find resistivity, carrier mobility and carrier density of deposited films. The adhesion test was performed using scotch hatch tape adhesion test. Mo thin films prepared at deposition power of 200 W, substrate temperature of 23°C and Ar pressure of 0.0123 mbar exhibited a mono crystalline structure with an orientation along (110) direction, thickness of ∼550 nm and electrical resistivity value of 0.57 × 10{sup −4} Ω cm.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Activation-induced structural change in the GluN1/GluN3A excitatory glycine receptor

Highlights: • We studied the response of the GluN1/GluN3A excitatory glycine receptor to activation. • GluN1 and GluN3A subunits interacted within transfected cells. • The GluN1/GluN3A receptor was functionally active. • Glycine or D-serine caused a ∼1 nm height reduction in bilayer-integrated receptors. • This height reduction was abolished by the glycine antagonist DCKA. - Abstract: Unlike GluN2-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which require both glycine and glutamate for activation, receptors composed of GluN1 and GluN3 subunits are activated by glycine alone. Here, we used atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging to examine the response to activation of the GluN1/GluN3A excitatory glycine receptor. GluN1 and GluN3A subunits were shown to interact intimately within transfected tsA 201 cells. Isolated GluN1/GluN3A receptors integrated into lipid bilayers responded to addition of either glycine or D-serine, but not glutamate, with a ∼1 nm reduction in height of the extracellular domain. The height reduction in response to glycine was abolished by the glycine antagonist 5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid. Our results represent the first demonstration of the effect of activation on the conformation of this receptor.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2011

Structure-property Relationships for Methyl-terminated Alkyl Self-assembled Monolayers

Structure-property relationships for methyl-terminated alkyl self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are developed using near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). NEXAFS C K-edge spectra are used to compute the dichroic ratio, which provides a quantitative measure of the molecular structure. AFM data are analyzed with an elastic adhesive contact model, modified by a first-order elastic perturbation method to include substrate effects, to extract the monolayer mechanical properties. Using this approach, the measured mechanical properties are not influenced by the substrate, which allows universal structure-property relationships to be developed for methyl-terminated alkyl SAMs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2014

Direct imaging of enhanced current collection on grain boundaries of Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells

We report on direct imaging of current collection by performing conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) measurement on a complete Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cell. The localized current was imaged by milling away the top conductive layer of the device by repeated C-AFM scans. The result exhibits enhanced photocurrent collection on grain boundaries (GBs) of CIGS films, consistent with the argument for electric-field-assisted carrier collection on the GBs.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Moving antiphase boundaries using an external electric field

Antiphase boundaries (APBs) are unique domain walls that may demonstrate switchable polarization in otherwise non-ferroelectric materials such as SrTiO{sub 3} and PbZrO{sub 3}. The current study explores the possibility of displacing such domain walls at the nanoscale. We suggest the possibility of manipulating APBs using the inhomogeneous electric field of an Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) tip with an applied voltage placed in their proximity. The displacement is studied as a function of applied voltage, film thickness, and initial separation of the AFM tip from the APB. It is established, for example, that for films with thickness of 15 nm, an APB may be attracted under the tip with a voltage of 25 V from initial separation of 30 nm. We have also demonstrated that the displacement is appreciably retained after the voltage is removed, rendering it favorable for potential applications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2018

Self-assembling of formic acid on the partially oxidized p (2×1) Cu(110) surface reconstruction at low coverages

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) reduction for synthetic fuel generation could be an integral part of a sustainable energy future. Copper (Cu) is the leading electrocatalyst for CO 2 reduction to produce multiple C-containing products such as C1 and C2 hydrocarbons and oxygenates. Understanding the mechanisms leading to their production could help optimize these pathways further. Adsorption studies of the many possible intermediates on well-characterized surfaces are crucial to elucidating these mechanisms. In this work, we explore the adsorption configurations of formic acid (HCOOH) on the surface of the partially oxidized p (2 × 1) reconstruction of the Cu(110) surface, using low-temperature scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy, in conjunction with density functional theory modeling. We find that HCOOH adsorbs favorably on the CuO chain comprising the reconstruction. The adsorption interactions involve dative bonding of the carbonyl O to the oxidized Cu and hydrogen bonding of the OH group to the surface O or to an adjacently adsorbed HCOOH molecule. Furthermore, cooperative adsorption of the molecules occurs, forming two- to three-molecule-long oligomer chains, facilitated by intermolecular hydrogen bonding and mutual polarization of the CuO acid-base adsorption sites.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2013

Study of the growth and switching kinetics on ferroelectric nanocrystals of copolymer vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene on an atomic force microscope

The growth of nanocrystals obtained from Langmuir-Blodgett films of ferroelectric copolymer consisting of 70% vinylidene fluoride and 30% trifluoroethylene has been investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The radius and concentration of nanocrystals are found to depend on the annealing time of the film. A model for nanocrystal growth is proposed which yields adequate time dependences for nanocrystal size parameters. The switching kinetics of individual ferroelectric nanocrystals with an average diameter of 100-200 nm and a height of 15-20 nm has been investigated in the piezoelectric response mode. It is shown that the switching of nanocrystals has an activation character.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Impact of the Ga/In ratio on the N incorporation into (In,Ga)(As,N) quantum dots

In this work, we demonstrate the dependence of the nitrogen incorporation on the Ga/In content into (In,Ga)(As,N) quantum dots (QDs) grown on GaAs (100) by radio-frequency plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Morphological analysis by atomic force microscopy and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, together with an estimation of the transition thickness, monitored in situ during the growth, predict a maximum in the N incorporation for 30% Ga content. This result is confirmed by photoluminescence measurements of the as-grown and post-growth annealed samples. We attribute this behavior to a trade off between two mechanisms depending on the Ga/In content: one related to the stability of the Ga-N bond, and the other related to the surface strain and/or In segregation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

Highly-selective wettability on organic light-emitting-diodes patterns by sequential low-power plasmas

Patterned organic light-emitting-diode substrates were treated by oxygen (O{sub 2}) and tetrafluoromethane (CF{sub 4}) radio-frequency (rf, 13.56 MHz) plasmas of low-power (close to 1 W) that were capacitively-coupled. An unexpected wettability contrast (water contact angle difference up to 90 deg. ) between the indium-tin-oxide anode and the bank resist regions was achieved, providing excellent conditioning prior to the ink-jet printing. This selectivity was found to be adjustable by varying the relative exposure time to the O{sub 2} and CF{sub 4} sequential plasmas. Static contact angle measurements and extensive x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses showed that the wetting properties depend on the carbon and fluorine chemical functional groups formed at the outermost surface layers, whereas atomic force microscopy images did not show a morphological change. Plasma optical emission spectroscopy and ion mass spectroscopy suggested that surface functionalization was initiated by energy transfer from ionic species (O{sup +}, O{sub 2}{sup +}, CF{sup +}, CF{sub 2}{sup +}, and CF{sub 3}{sup +}) and excited neutrals (O{sup *} and F{sup *}). The absolute ion fluxes measured on the substrates were up to 10{sup 14} cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} and the ion energies up to 20 eV, despite the low powers applied during the process.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2010

Graphene growth by molecular beam epitaxy on the carbon-face of SiC

Graphene layers have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on the (0001) C-face of SiC and have been characterized by atomic force microscopy, low energy electron diffraction (LEED), and UV photoelectron spectroscopy. Contrary to the graphitization process, the step-terrace structure of SiC is fully preserved during the MBE growth. LEED patterns show multiple orientation domains which are characteristic of graphene on SiC (0001), indicating non-Bernal rotated graphene planes. Well-defined Dirac cones, typical of single-layer graphene, have been observed in the valence band for few graphene layers by synchrotron spectroscopy, confirming the electronic decoupling of graphene layers.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2012

Dual growth modes in ion bombarded Si surfaces

Morphological studies were done on Si (001) surfaces after rastering them with a 1 keV O{sub 2}{sup +} ion beam at an angle. The resulting mounded morphology was studied using atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. The roughness at different length scales were further extracted and quantified from AFM measurements using scaling analysis. Results indicate two growth regimes of the evolving surface which were evident from the power spectral density (PSD) and interface width analysis of the eroded surfaces. Initially the growth is unstable followed by a stable regime of the nanostructures evolved after about 35 minutes of erosion. Temporal studies done on these surfaces show the onset of shadowing at higher sputtering times thus indicating the breakdown of the growth model at these times.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2015

The effect of hydrogen embrittlement on the localized plastic deformation of aluminum alloy

The effect of hydrogen embrittlement on the localized plastic deformation of aluminum alloy D1 was investigated. The studies were performed for the test samples of aluminum alloy subjected to electrolytic hydrogenation. It is found that the mechanical properties and localized plastic deformation parameters of aluminum alloy are affected adversely by hydrogen embrittlement. The hydrogenated counterpart of alloy has a lower degree of ductility relative to the original alloy; however, the plastic flow behavior of material remains virtually unaffected. Using scanning electron and atomic force microscopy methods, the changes in the fracture surface were investigated. The deformation diagrams were examined for the deformed samples of aluminum alloy. These are found to show all the plastic flow stages: the linear, parabolic and pre-failure stages would occur for the respective values of the exponent n from the Ludwik-Holomon equation. Using digital speckle image technique, the local strain patterns were being registered for the original alloy D1 and the counterpart subjected to electrolytic hydrogenation for 100 h.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Comparative study of GaN mesa etch characteristics in Cl{sub 2} based inductively coupled plasma with Ar and BCl{sub 3} as additive gases

GaN thin film etching is investigated and compared for mesa formation in inductively coupled plasma (ICP) of Cl{sub 2} with Ar and BCl{sub 3} gas additives using photoresist mask. Etch characteristics are studied as a function of ICP process parameters, viz., ICP power, radio frequency (RF) power, and chamber pressure at fixed total flow rate. The etch rate at each ICP/RF power is 0.1–0.2 μm/min higher for Cl{sub 2}/Ar mixture mainly due to higher Cl dissociation efficiency of Ar additive that readily provides Cl ion/radical for reaction in comparison to Cl{sub 2}/BCl{sub 3} mixture. Cl{sub 2}/Ar mixture also leads to better photoresist mask selectivity. The etch-induced roughness is investigated using atomic force microscopy. Cl{sub 2}/Ar etching has resulted in lower root-mean-square roughness of GaN etched surface in comparison to Cl{sub 2}/BCl{sub 3} etching due to increased Ar ion energy and flux with ICP/RF power that enhances the sputter removal of etch product. The GaN surface damage after etching is also evaluated using room temperature photoluminescence and found to be increasing with ICP/RF power for both the etch chemistries with higher degree of damage in Cl{sub 2}/BCl{sub 3} etching under same condition.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Influence of substrate temperature on structural and optical properties of RF sputtered ZnMnO thin films

The ZnMnO thin films were deposited on glass substrates by radio frequency magnetron sputtering method. The properties of ZnMnO thin films were investigated by high-resolution x-ray diffractometer (HRXRD),atomic force microscopy (AFM), UV-Vis spectrometer and room temperature photoluminescence (PL), under the influence of substrate temperature. The substrate temperature was varied from 300, 400 and 500°C. With increasing the substrate temperature, the structure of the films changed from cubic to hexagonal. The cubic ZnMnO thin films grown along [210] direction, while the hexagonal ones grown along [002] direction. The changes in surface morphology provided a proof on the structural transition. Also, decrease and increase of optical band gap is associated with cubic or hexagonal structure of the films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2014

Detecting the dipole moment of a single carbon monoxide molecule

Using non-contact atomic force microscopy with metallic tips enabled us to detect the electrostatic dipole moment of single carbon monoxide (CO) molecules adsorbed on three very different substrates. The observed distance dependent contrast can be explained by an interplay between the attractive van der Waals interaction and the repulsive electrostatic interaction, respectively, with the latter stemming from antiparallel aligned dipoles in tip and molecule. Our results suggest that metallic as well as CO-functionalized tips are able to probe electrostatic properties of polar molecules and that repulsive dipole-dipole interactions have to be considered when interpreting complex contrast patterns.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2010

Gigantic uphill diffusion during self-assembled growth of Ge quantum dots on strained SiGe sublayers

Raman spectroscopy and atomic-force microscopy were applied to study the morphology of nanoislands grown on strained Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x} sublayers. It was shown that the growth of nanoislands on strained Si{sub 1-x}Ge{sub x} sublayer not only induces the effect of their spatial ordering but also enhances the role of interdiffusion processes. Unusual high island volume increase during the epitaxy is explained by anomalous strong material diffusion from the sublayer into the islands, induced by nonuniform field of elastic strains.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2011

Anti-phase domains in cubic GaN

The existence of anti-phase domains in cubic GaN grown on 3C-SiC/Si (001) substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy is reported. The influence of the 3C-SiC/Si (001) substrate morphology is studied with emphasis on the anti-phase domains (APDs). The GaN nucleation is governed by the APDs of the substrate, resulting in equal plane orientation and the same anti-phase boundaries. The presence of the APDs is independent of the GaN layer thickness. Atomic force microscopy surface analysis indicates lateral growth anisotropy of GaN facets in dependence of the APD orientation. This anisotropy can be linked to Ga and N face types of the {l_brace}111{r_brace} planes, similar to observations of anisotropic growth in 3C-SiC. In contrast to 3C-SiC, however, a difference in GaN phase composition for the two types of APDs can be measured by electron backscatter diffraction, {mu}-Raman and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗