AVS 45th International Symposium
    Nanometer-scale Science and Technology Division Thursday Sessions
       Session NS-ThA

Invited Paper NS-ThA1
Nanomanipulation for Material Properties, Interactions and Devices

Thursday, November 5, 1998, 2:00 pm, Room 321/322/323

Session: Nanoscale Manipulation and Chemical Modification
Presenter: R. Superfine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Correspondent: Click to Email
We have pursued the study of nanometer-scale materials, including colloids, viruses, DNA and nanotubes, through the use and development of an advanced interface for scanning probe microscopy (SPM). The ability to manipulate objects efficiently on surfaces makes available a wide variety of experiments on the interactions between the sample and substrate, on the physical properties of individual objects and on the creation of unusual devices incorporating the nanometer objects. For example, the simple pushing of an object with the AFM tip, with the measurement of the applied lateral force, measures the surface adhesion and friction. Dynamical phenomena such as stick/slip, sliding and rolling has been observed. Manipulation can be used to deform objects, and the response of the objects to large strain reveals phenomena such as buckling and fracture. Finally, manipulation allows us to begin the study of unusual device structures incorporating nanometer samples such as nanotubes. Making these experiments possible is the nanoManipulator, an interface for SPM's. The interface allows for real time control of the AFM tip while simultaneously recording topography, lateral forces, as well as device features such as conductivity. In addition, the data is rendered as 3-d, directionally illuminated surfaces providing immediate, intuitive interpretation of the SPM data.