Morphological Evolution of Pit-Patterned Si(001) Substrates Driven by Surface-Energy Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Salvalaglio, Marco; Backofen, Rainer; Voigt, Axel; Montalenti, Francesco

2017-09-01

Lateral ordering of heteroepitaxial islands can be conveniently achieved by suitable pit-patterning of the substrate prior to deposition. Controlling shape, orientation, and size of the pits is not trivial as, being metastable, they can significantly evolve during deposition/annealing. In this paper, we exploit a continuum model to explore the typical metastable pit morphologies that can be expected on Si(001), depending on the initial depth/shape. Evolution is predicted using a surface-diffusion model, formulated in a phase-field framework, and tackling surface-energy anisotropy. Results are shown to nicely reproduce typical metastable shapes reported in the literature. Moreover, long time scale evolutions of pit profiles with different depths are found to follow a similar kinetic pathway. The model is also exploited to treat the case of heteroepitaxial growth involving two materials characterized by different facets in their equilibrium Wulff's shape. This can lead to significant changes in morphologies, such as a rotation of the pit during deposition as evidenced in Ge/Si experiments.

Pattern interpolation in thin films of lamellar, symmetric copolymers on nano-patterned substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Detcheverry, Francois; Nagpal, Umang; Liu, Guoliang; Nealey, Paul; de Pablo, Juan

2009-03-01

A molecular model of block copolymer systems is used to conduct a systematic study of the morphologies that arise when thin films of symmetric, lamellar forming block copolymer materials are deposited on nanopatterned surfaces. Over 500 distinct cases are considered. It is found that, in general, three distinct morphologies can arise depending on the strength of the substrate-polymer interactions, the film thickness, and the period of the substrate pattern. The relative stability of those morphologies is determined by direct calculation of the free energy differences. The dynamic propensity of those morphologies to emerge is examined by careful analysis of simulated trajectories. The results of this systematic study are used to interpret recent experimental data for films of polystyrene-PMMA copolymers on chemically nanopatterned surfaces.

Patterned growth of carbon nanotubes on Si substrates without predeposition of metal catalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Y.; Yu, J.

2005-07-01

Aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be readily synthesized on quartz or silicon-oxide-coated Si substrates using a chemical vapor deposition method, but it is difficult to grow them on pure Si substrates without predeposition of metal catalysts. We report that aligned CNTs were grown by pyrolysis of iron phthalocyanine at 1000°C on the templates created on Si substrates with simple mechanical scratching. Scanning electron microscopy and x-ray energy spectroscopy analysis revealed that the trenches and patterns created on the surface of Si substrates were preferred nucleation sites for nanotube growth due to a high surface energy, metastable surface structure, and possible capillarity effect. A two-step pyrolysis process maintained Fe as an active catalyst.

Mogul-Patterned Elastomeric Substrate for Stretchable Electronics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Han-Byeol; Bae, Chan-Wool; Duy, Le Thai; Sohn, Il-Yung; Kim, Do-Il; Song, You-Joon; Kim, Youn-Jea; Lee, Nae-Eung

2016-04-01

A mogul-patterned stretchable substrate with multidirectional stretchability and minimal fracture of layers under high stretching is fabricated by double photolithography and soft lithography. Au layers and a reduced graphene oxide chemiresistor on a mogul-patterned poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate are stable and durable under various stretching conditions. The newly designed mogul-patterned stretchable substrate shows great promise for stretchable electronics. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Carbon nanotube substrates and catalyzed hot stamp for polishing and patterning the substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuhuang [Evanston, IL; Hauge, Robert H [Houston, TX; Schmidt, Howard K [Houston, TX; Kim, Myung Jong [Houston, TX; Kittrell, W Carter [Houston, TX

2009-09-08

The present invention is generally directed to catalyzed hot stamp methods for polishing and/or patterning carbon nanotube-containing substrates. In some embodiments, the substrate, as a carbon nanotube fiber end, is brought into contact with a hot stamp (typically at 200-800.degree. C.), and is kept in contact with the hot stamp until the morphology/patterns on the hot stamp have been transferred to the substrate. In some embodiments, the hot stamp is made of material comprising one or more transition metals (Fe, Ni, Co, Pt, Ag, Au, etc.), which can catalyze the etching reaction of carbon with H.sub.2, CO.sub.2, H.sub.2O, and/or O.sub.2. Such methods can (1) polish the carbon nanotube-containing substrate with a microscopically smooth finish, and/or (2) transfer pre-defined patterns from the hot stamp to the substrate. Such polished or patterned carbon nanotube substrates can find application as carbon nanotube electrodes, field emitters, and field emitter arrays for displays and electron sources.

Mechanical response of wall-patterned GaAs surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Bourhis, E.; Patriarche, G.

2005-01-01

Wall-patterned GaAs surfaces have been elaborated by photolithography and dry etching. Different surfaces were produced in order to change the aspect ratio of the walls formed at the substrate surface. The mechanical behaviour of individual walls was investigated by nanoindentation and the responses were compared to that of a standard bulk reference (flat surface). Deviation from the bulk response is detected in a load range of 1-25 mN depending on the aspect ratio of the walls. A central plastic zone criterion is proposed in view of transmission electron microscopy images of indented walls and allows the prediction of the response deviation of a given wall if its width is known. The mechanical response of the different types of walls is further investigated in terms of stiffness, total penetration of indenter and apparent hardness, and is scanned in relation to the proximity of a wall side. Overall results show that contact stiffness remains almost unaffected by aspect ratio, while penetration drastically increases because of the free sides of the wall as compared to a flat surface (bulk substrate). The application of substrate patterning for optoelectronic devices is discussed in the perspective of eliminating residual dislocations appearing in mismatched structures

Patterning of metallic electrodes on flexible substrates for organic thin-film transistors using a laser thermal printing method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Kun-Tso; Lin, Yu-Hsuan; Ho, Jeng-Rong; Chen, Chih-Kant; Liu, Sung-Ho; Liao, Jin-Long; Cheng, Hua-Chi

2011-01-01

We report on a laser thermal printing method for transferring patterned metallic thin films on flexible plastic substrates using a pulsed CO 2 laser. Aluminium and silver line patterns, with micrometre scale resolution on poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrates, are shown. The printed electrodes demonstrate good conductivity and fulfil the properties for bottom-contact organic thin-film transistors. In addition to providing the energy for transferring the film, the absorption of laser light results in a rise in the temperature of the film and the substrate. This also further anneals the film and softens the plastic substrate. Consequently, it is possible to obtain a film with better surface morphology and with its film thickness implanted in part into the plastic surface. This implantation reveals excellent characteristics in adhesion and flexure resistance. Being feasible to various substrates and executable at ambient temperatures renders this approach a potential alternative for patterning metallic electrodes.

Random sequential adsorption: from continuum to lattice and pre-patterned substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cadilhe, A; Araujo, N A M; Privman, Vladimir

2007-01-01

The random sequential adsorption (RSA) model has served as a paradigm for diverse phenomena in physical chemistry, as well as in other areas such as biology, ecology, and sociology. In the present work, we survey aspects of the RSA model with emphasis on the approach to and properties of jammed states obtained for large times in continuum deposition versus that on lattice substrates, and on pre-patterned surfaces. The latter model has been of recent interest in the context of efforts to use pre-patterning as a tool to improve self-assembly in micro- and nanoscale surface structure engineering

Surface-induced patterns from evaporating droplets of aqueous carbon nanotube dispersions

KAUST Repository

Zeng, Hongbo; Kristiansen, Kai De Lange; Wang, Peng; Bergli, Joakim; Israelachvili, Jacob N.

2011-01-01

Evaporation of aqueous droplets of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coated with a physisorbed layer of humic acid (HA) on a partially hydrophilic substrate induces the formation of a film of CNTs. Here, we investigate the role that the global geometry of the substrate surfaces has on the structure of the CNT film. On a flat mica or silica surface, the evaporation of a convex droplet of the CNT dispersion induces the well-known "coffee ring", while evaporation of a concave droplet (capillary meniscus) of the CNT dispersion in a wedge of two planar mica sheets or between two crossed-cylinder sheets induces a large area (>mm 2) of textured or patterned films characterized by different short- and long-range orientational and positional ordering of the CNTs. The resulting patterns appear to be determined by two competing or cooperative sedimentation mechanisms: (1) capillary forces between CNTs giving micrometer-sized filaments parallel to the boundary line of the evaporating droplet and (2) fingering instability at the boundary line of the evaporating droplet and subsequent pinning of CNTs on the surface giving micrometer-sized filaments of CNTs perpendicular to this boundary line. The interplay between substrate surface geometry and sedimentation mechanisms gives an extra control parameter for manipulating patterns of self-assembling nanoparticles at substrate surfaces. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Surface-induced patterns from evaporating droplets of aqueous carbon nanotube dispersions

KAUST Repository

Zeng, Hongbo

2011-06-07

Evaporation of aqueous droplets of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coated with a physisorbed layer of humic acid (HA) on a partially hydrophilic substrate induces the formation of a film of CNTs. Here, we investigate the role that the global geometry of the substrate surfaces has on the structure of the CNT film. On a flat mica or silica surface, the evaporation of a convex droplet of the CNT dispersion induces the well-known "coffee ring", while evaporation of a concave droplet (capillary meniscus) of the CNT dispersion in a wedge of two planar mica sheets or between two crossed-cylinder sheets induces a large area (>mm 2) of textured or patterned films characterized by different short- and long-range orientational and positional ordering of the CNTs. The resulting patterns appear to be determined by two competing or cooperative sedimentation mechanisms: (1) capillary forces between CNTs giving micrometer-sized filaments parallel to the boundary line of the evaporating droplet and (2) fingering instability at the boundary line of the evaporating droplet and subsequent pinning of CNTs on the surface giving micrometer-sized filaments of CNTs perpendicular to this boundary line. The interplay between substrate surface geometry and sedimentation mechanisms gives an extra control parameter for manipulating patterns of self-assembling nanoparticles at substrate surfaces. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Surface wettability of silicon substrates enhanced by laser ablation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tseng, Shih-Feng [National Applied Research Laboratories, Instrument Technology Research Center, Hsinchu (China); National Chiao Tung University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hsinchu (China); Hsiao, Wen-Tse; Huang, Kuo-Cheng; Hsiao, Sheng-Yi [National Applied Research Laboratories, Instrument Technology Research Center, Hsinchu (China); Chen, Ming-Fei [National Changhua University of Education, Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Changhua (China); Lin, Yung-Sheng [Hungkuang University, Department of Applied Cosmetology and Graduate Institute of Cosmetic Science, Taichung (China); Chou, Chang-Pin [National Chiao Tung University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hsinchu (China)

2010-11-15

Laser-ablation techniques have been widely applied for removing material from a solid surface using a laser-beam irradiating apparatus. This paper presents a surface-texturing technique to create rough patterns on a silicon substrate using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser system. The different degrees of microstructure and surface roughness were adjusted by the laser fluence and laser pulse duration. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a 3D confocal laser-scanning microscope are used to measure the surface micrograph and roughness of the patterns, respectively. The contact angle variations between droplets on the textured surface were measured using an FTA 188 video contact angle analyzer. The results indicate that increasing the values of laser fluence and laser pulse duration pushes more molten slag piled around these patterns to create micro-sized craters and leads to an increase in the crater height and surface roughness. A typical example of a droplet on a laser-textured surface shows that the droplet spreads very quickly and almost disappears within 0.5167 s, compared to a contact angle of 47.9 on an untextured surface. This processing technique can also be applied to fabricating Si solar panels to increase the absorption efficiency of light. (orig.)

Thermally induced delay and reversal of liquid film dewetting on chemically patterned surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalpathy, Sreeram K; Francis, Lorraine F; Kumar, Satish

2013-10-15

A thin liquid film resting on a solid substrate that is heated or cooled from below experiences surface tension gradients, which lead to Marangoni flows. We explore the behavior of such a film on a chemically patterned substrate which drives film dewetting in order to determine how surface patterning and applied temperature gradients can be designed to influence the behavior of thin-film coatings. A nonlinear partial differential equation for the film height based on lubrication theory is solved numerically for a broad range of problem parameters. Uniform cooling of the substrate is found to significantly delay dewetting that is driven by wettability gradients. Uniform heating speeds up dewetting but can destroy the near-perfect templating imposed by the surface patterning. However, localized heating and cooling together can accelerate dewetting while maintaining templating quality. Localized heating and cooling can also be used to drive liquid onto areas that it would dewet from in the absence of heating. Overall, these results indicate that applied temperature gradients can significantly influence dewetting driven by surface patterning, and suggest strategies for the creation of spatially patterned thin-film coatings and flow control in microfluidic devices. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of vacuum ultraviolet photons, ion energy and substrate temperature on line width roughness and RMS surface roughness of patterned 193 nm photoresist

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Titus, M J; Graves, D B; Yamaguchi, Y; Hudson, E A

2011-01-01

We present a comparison of patterned 193 nm photoresist (PR) line width roughness (LWR) of samples processed in a well characterized argon (Ar) inductively coupled plasma (ICP) system to RMS surface roughness and bulk chemical modification of blanket 193 nm PR samples used as control samples. In the ICP system, patterned and blanket PR samples are irradiated with Ar vacuum ultraviolet photons (VUV) and Ar ions while sample temperature, photon flux, ion flux and ion energy are controlled and measured. The resulting chemical modifications to bulk 193 nm PR (blanket) and surface roughness are analysed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). LWR of patterned samples are measured with scanning electron microscopy and blanket portions of the patterned PRs are measured with AFM. We demonstrate that with no RF-bias applied to the substrate the LWR of 193 nm PR tends to smooth and correlates with the smoothing of the RMS surface roughness. However, both LWR and RMS surface roughness increases with simultaneous high-energy (≥70 eV) ion bombardment and VUV-irradiation and is a function of exposure time. Both high- and low-frequency LWR correlate well with the RMS surface roughness of the patterned and blanket 193 nm PR samples. LWR, however, does not increase with temperatures ranging from 20 to 80 deg. C, in contrast to the RMS surface roughness which increases monotonically with temperature. It is unclear why LWR remains independent of temperature over this range. However, the fact that blanket roughness and LWR on patterned samples, both scale similarly with VUV fluence and ion energy suggests a similar mechanism is responsible for both types of surface morphology modifications.

Effects of vacuum ultraviolet photons, ion energy and substrate temperature on line width roughness and RMS surface roughness of patterned 193 nm photoresist

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Titus, M J; Graves, D B [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Yamaguchi, Y; Hudson, E A, E-mail: graves@berkeley.edu [Lam Research Corporation, 4400 Cushing Parkway, Freemont, CA 94538 (United States)

2011-03-02

We present a comparison of patterned 193 nm photoresist (PR) line width roughness (LWR) of samples processed in a well characterized argon (Ar) inductively coupled plasma (ICP) system to RMS surface roughness and bulk chemical modification of blanket 193 nm PR samples used as control samples. In the ICP system, patterned and blanket PR samples are irradiated with Ar vacuum ultraviolet photons (VUV) and Ar ions while sample temperature, photon flux, ion flux and ion energy are controlled and measured. The resulting chemical modifications to bulk 193 nm PR (blanket) and surface roughness are analysed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). LWR of patterned samples are measured with scanning electron microscopy and blanket portions of the patterned PRs are measured with AFM. We demonstrate that with no RF-bias applied to the substrate the LWR of 193 nm PR tends to smooth and correlates with the smoothing of the RMS surface roughness. However, both LWR and RMS surface roughness increases with simultaneous high-energy ({>=}70 eV) ion bombardment and VUV-irradiation and is a function of exposure time. Both high- and low-frequency LWR correlate well with the RMS surface roughness of the patterned and blanket 193 nm PR samples. LWR, however, does not increase with temperatures ranging from 20 to 80 deg. C, in contrast to the RMS surface roughness which increases monotonically with temperature. It is unclear why LWR remains independent of temperature over this range. However, the fact that blanket roughness and LWR on patterned samples, both scale similarly with VUV fluence and ion energy suggests a similar mechanism is responsible for both types of surface morphology modifications.

Preparation and surface characterization of plasma-treated and biomolecular-micropatterned polymer substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Langowski, Bryan Alfred

A micropatterning process creates distinct microscale domains on substrate surfaces that differ from the surfaces' original chemical/physical properties. Numerous micropatterning methods exist, each having relative advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost, ease, reproducibility, and versatility. Polymeric surfaces micropatterned with biomolecules have many applications, but are specifically utilized in tissue engineering as cell scaffolds that attempt to controlled tissue generation in vivo and ex vivo. As the physical and chemical cues presented by micropatterned substrates control resulting cellular behavior, characterization of these cues via surface-sensitive analytical techniques is essential in developing cell scaffolds that mimic complex in vivo physicochemical environments. The initial focus of this thesis is the chemical and physical characterization of plasma-treated, microcontact-printed (muCP) polymeric substrates used to direct nerve cell behavior. Unmodified and oxygen plasma-treated poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrates were analyzed by surface sensitive techniques to monitor plasma-induced chemical and physical modifications. Additionally, protein-micropattern homogeneity and size were microscopically evaluated. Lastly, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamps and contaminated PMMA substrates were characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic methods to identify a contamination source during microcontact printing. The final focus of this thesis is the development of microscale plasma-initiated patterning (muPIP) as a versatile, reproducible micropatterning method. Using muPIP, polymeric substrates were micropatterned with several biologically relevant inks. Polymeric substrates were characterized following muPIP by surface-sensitive techniques to identify the technique's underlying physical and chemical bases. In addition, neural stem cell response to muPIP-generated laminin micropatterns was microscopically and biologically evaluated

Copper circuit patterning on polymer using selective surface modification and electroless plating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Sang Jin [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of); Ko, Tae-Jun [Institute for Multidisciplinary Convergence of Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 130-650 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Juil [Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Hansung University, Seoul 136-792 (Korea, Republic of); Moon, Myoung-Woon [Institute for Multidisciplinary Convergence of Materials, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 130-650 (Korea, Republic of); Oh, Kyu Hwan [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Korea, Republic of); Han, Jun Hyun, E-mail: jhhan@cnu.ac.kr [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of)

2017-02-28

Highlights: • A new simple two step method for the pattering of Cu circuits on PET substrate was proposed. • The simple patterning of the high adhesive Cu circuits was achieved by plasma treatment using a patterned mask coated with a catalyst material. • The high adhesive strength of Cu circuits was due to the nanostructure formed by oxygen plasma treatment. - Abstract: We have examined a potential new and simple method for patterning a copper circuit on PET substrate by copper electroless plating, without the pretreatment steps (i.e., sensitization and activation) for electroless plating as well as the etching processes of conventional circuit patterning. A patterned mask coated with a catalyst material, Ag, for the reduction of Cu ions, is placed on a PET substrate. Subsequent oxygen plasma treatment of the PET substrate covered with the mask promotes the selective generation of anisotropic pillar- or hair-like nanostructures coated with co-deposited nanoparticles of the catalyst material on PET. After oxygen plasma treatment, a Cu circuit is well formed just by dipping the plasma-treated PET into a Cu electroless plating solution. By increasing the oxygen gas pressure in the chamber, the height of the nanostructures increases and the Ag catalyst particles are coated on not only the top but also the side surfaces of the nanostructures. Strong mechanical interlocking between the Cu circuit and PET substrate is produced by the large surface area of the nanostructures, and enhances peel strength. Results indicate this new simple two step (plasma surface modification and pretreatment-free electroless plating) method can be used to produce a flexible Cu circuit with good adhesion.

Enhanced columnar structure in CsI layer by substrate patterning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jing, T.; Cho, G.; Drewery, J.; Kaplan, S.N.; Mireshghi, A.; Perez-Mendez, V.; Wildermuth, D. [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States); Fujieda, I. [Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, CA (United States)

1991-10-01

Columnar structure in evaporated CsI layers can be controlled by patterning substrates as well as varying evaporation conditions. Mesh-patterned substrates with various dimensions were created by spin-coating polyimide on glass or amorphous silicon substrates and defining patterns with standard photolithography technique. CsI(Tl) layers 200--1000 {mu}m were evaporated. Scintillation properties of these evaporated layers, such as light yield and speed, were equivalent to those of the source materials. Spatial resolution of X-ray detectors consisting of these layers and a linear array of X-ray detectors consisting of these layers and a linear array of Si photodiodes was evaluated by exposing them to a 25{mu}m narrow beam of X-ray. The results obtained with 200{mu}m thick CsI layers coupled to a linear photodiode array with 20 dots/mm resolution showed that the spatial resolution of CsI(Tl) evaporated on patterned substrates was about 75 {mu}m FWHM, whereas that on CsI(Tl) on flat substrates was about 230 {mu}m FWHM. Micrographs taken by SEM revealed that these layers retained the well-defined columnar structure originating from substrate patterns. Adhesion and light transmission of CsI(Tl) were also improved by patterning the substrate.

Lateral overgrowth of diamond film on stripes patterned Ir/HPHT-diamond substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yan-Feng; Chang, Xiaohui; Liu, Zhangcheng; Liu, Zongchen; Fu, Jiao; Zhao, Dan; Shao, Guoqing; Wang, Juan; Zhang, Shaopeng; Liang, Yan; Zhu, Tianfei; Wang, Wei; Wang, Hong-Xing

2018-05-01

Epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of diamond films on patterned Ir/(0 0 1)HPHT-diamond substrates have been carried out by microwave plasma CVD system. Ir/(0 0 1)HPHT-diamond substrates are fabricated by photolithographic and magnetron sputtering technique. The morphology of the as grown ELO diamond film is characterized by optical microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy. The quality and stress of the ELO diamond film are investigated by surface etching pit density and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Two ultraviolet photodetectors are fabricated on ELO diamond area and non-ELO diamond area prepared on same substrate, and that one on ELO diamond area indicates better photoelectric properties. All results indicate quality of ELO diamond film is improved.

Pattern of diffusion-limited aggregation on nonuniform substrate

CERN Document Server

Ouyang Wen Ze; Zou Xian Wu; Jin Zhun Zhi

2003-01-01

Pattern of diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) on nonuniform substrate was investigated by computer simulations. The nonuniform substrates are represented by Leath percolations with the probability p. p stands for the degree of nonuniformity and takes values in the range p sub c<=p<=1, where p sub c is the threshold of percolation. The DLA cluster grows up on the Leath percolation substrate. The patterns of the DLA clusters appear asymmetrical and nonuniform, and the branches are relative few for the case p is close to p sub c. In addition, the pattern depends on the shape of substrate. As p increases from p sub c to 1, cluster changes to pure DLA gradually. Correspondingly, the fractal dimension increases from 1.46 to 1.68. Also, the random walks on Leath percolations through the range p sub c<=p<=1 were examined. Our simulations show the Honda-Toyoki-Matsushita relation is still reasonable for fractional dimensional systems.

Fabrication of a Au–polystyrene sphere substrate with three-dimensional nanofeatures for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Xiaotang; Xu, Zongwei; Li, Kang; Fang, Fengzhou; Wang, Liyang

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: Methods for fabricating three-dimensional nanofeature arrays for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates were explored by combining the self-assembly of nanoscale polystyrene (PS) spheres with subsequent Au film ion sputter coating modulation. The substrate's nanoscale hot-spot features were controlled using the Au coating film thickness regulation and focused ion beam (FIB) nano-patterning regulation methods. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were employed to analyze the substrate morphology and the enhancement mechanism of the three-dimensional SERS substrate. PS microspheres with diameters of 151 nm and 360 nm were coated with Au layers of different thicknesses ranging from 10 nm to 270 nm. The configuration of the Au–PS spheres can be regulated to hexagonal close packing with nanoscale V-shaped slits with a 10 to 20 nm gap pattern. Nanoscale Au particles and clusters with a clear outline covered the surface of the PS spheres, in which the multiple-scale structures increase the specific surface area of the SERS-active substrate. Nanoscale cracks formed on the smaller Au–PS spheres with a diameter of 151 nm, which also exhibited strong SERS activity. The substrate surface temperature regularly increased after Au coating, and the thermal expansion coefficient difference and PS glass transition properties were studied to explain the Au–PS spheres nanofeature configuration development. The fabricated Au–PS spheres SERS feature is a type of three-dimensional and highly ordered array, which can show Raman scattering characteristics by providing a SERS enhancement factor of greater than 107. - Highlights: • Au film coating over PS nanospheres was studied to develop 3D SERS substrate. • The Au–PS sphere can be hexagonal close packing with 10–20 nm nanoscale gaps. • PS glass transition property results in Au–PS sphere nano configuration evolution. • The nanoscale Au clusters with clear outline were

Fabrication of a Au–polystyrene sphere substrate with three-dimensional nanofeatures for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Xiaotang; Xu, Zongwei, E-mail: zongweixu@163.com; Li, Kang; Fang, Fengzhou, E-mail: fzfang@tju.edu.cn; Wang, Liyang

2015-11-15

Graphical abstract: Methods for fabricating three-dimensional nanofeature arrays for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates were explored by combining the self-assembly of nanoscale polystyrene (PS) spheres with subsequent Au film ion sputter coating modulation. The substrate's nanoscale hot-spot features were controlled using the Au coating film thickness regulation and focused ion beam (FIB) nano-patterning regulation methods. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy were employed to analyze the substrate morphology and the enhancement mechanism of the three-dimensional SERS substrate. PS microspheres with diameters of 151 nm and 360 nm were coated with Au layers of different thicknesses ranging from 10 nm to 270 nm. The configuration of the Au–PS spheres can be regulated to hexagonal close packing with nanoscale V-shaped slits with a 10 to 20 nm gap pattern. Nanoscale Au particles and clusters with a clear outline covered the surface of the PS spheres, in which the multiple-scale structures increase the specific surface area of the SERS-active substrate. Nanoscale cracks formed on the smaller Au–PS spheres with a diameter of 151 nm, which also exhibited strong SERS activity. The substrate surface temperature regularly increased after Au coating, and the thermal expansion coefficient difference and PS glass transition properties were studied to explain the Au–PS spheres nanofeature configuration development. The fabricated Au–PS spheres SERS feature is a type of three-dimensional and highly ordered array, which can show Raman scattering characteristics by providing a SERS enhancement factor of greater than 107. - Highlights: • Au film coating over PS nanospheres was studied to develop 3D SERS substrate. • The Au–PS sphere can be hexagonal close packing with 10–20 nm nanoscale gaps. • PS glass transition property results in Au–PS sphere nano configuration evolution. • The nanoscale Au clusters with clear outline

Microtransfer printing of metal ink patterns onto plastic substrates utilizing an adhesion-controlled polymeric donor layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Ji-Sub; Choi, Jun-Chan; Park, Min-Kyu; Bae, Jeong Min; Bae, Jin-Hyuk; Kim, Hak-Rin

2016-01-01

We propose a method for transfer-printed electrode patterns onto flexible/plastic substrates, specifically intended for metal ink that requires a high sintering temperature. Typically, metal-ink-based electrodes cannot be picked up for microtransfer printing because the adhesion between the electrodes and the donor substrate greatly increases after the sintering process due to the binding materials. We introduced a polymeric donor layer between the printed electrodes and the donor substrate and effectively reduced the adhesion between the Ag pattern and the polymeric donor layer by controlling the interfacial contact area. After completing a wet-etching process for the polymeric donor layer, we obtained Ag patterns supported on the fine polymeric anchor structures; the Ag patterns could be picked up onto the stamp surface even after the sintering process by utilizing the viscoelastic properties of the elastomeric stamp with a pick-up velocity control. The proposed method enables highly conductive metal-ink-based electrode patterns to be applied on thermally weak plastic substrates via an all-solution process. Metal electrodes transferred onto a film showed superior electrical and mechanical stability under the bending stress test required for use in printed flexible electronics. (paper)

Surface-immobilized hydrogel patterns on length scales from micrometer to nanometer

Science.gov (United States)

Zeira, Assaf

The present work concentrates on the study of pattern generation and transfer processes of monolayer covered surfaces, deriving from the basic working concept of Constructive Lithography. As an advancement of constructive lithography, we developed a direct, one-step printing (contact electrochemical printing, CEP) and replication (contact electrochemical replication, CER) of hydrophilic organic monolayer patterns surrounded by a hydrophobic monolayer background. In addition, we present a process of transfer of metal between two contacting solid surfaces to predefined monolayer template pattern sites (contact electrochemical transfer, CET). This thesis shows that CEP, CER, and CET may be implemented under a variety of different experimental conditions, regardless of whether the initial "master" pattern was created by a parallel (fast) or serial (slow) patterning process. CEP and CER also posses the unique attractive property that each replica may equally function as master stamp in the fabrication of additional replicas. Moreover, due to a mechanism of selfcorrection patterned surfaces produced these process are often free of defects that the initial "master" stamp may had. We finally show that the electrochemical patterning of OTS monolayers on silicon can be further extended to flexible polymeric substrate materials as well as to a variety of chemical manipulations, allowing the fabrication of tridimensional (3D) composite structures made on the basis of readily available OTS compound. The results obtained suggest that such contact electrochemical processes could be used to rapidly generate multiple copies of surface patterns spanning variable length scales, this basic approach being applicable to rigid as well as flexible substrate materials.

The golden-mean surface pattern to enhance flow mixing in micro-channel.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J F; Liu, Y; Xu, Y S

2009-04-01

Mixing of analytes and reagents in microfluidic devices is often crucial to the effective functioning of lab-on-a-chip. It is possible to affect the mixing in microfluidics by intelligently controlling the thermodynamic and chemical properties of the substrate surface. Numerous studies have shown that the phase behavior of mixtures is significantly affected by surface properties of microfluidics. For example, the phase separation between the fluids can be affected by heterogeneous patterns on the substrate. The patterned substrate can offer an effective means to control fluid behavior and in turn to enhance mixing. The golden mean is a ratio that is present in the growth patterns of many biological systems--the spiral formed by a shell or the curve of a fern, for example. The golden mean or golden section was derived by the ancient Greeks. Like "pi" the golden mean ratio is an irrational number 1.618, or (square root{5} + 1) / 2. It was found that the golden mean was an optimum ratio in natural convection heat transfer problem (Liu and Phan-Thien, Numer Heat Transf 37:613-630, 2000). In this study, we numerically studied the effect of optimum surface pattern on mixing in a micro channel and found that the flow oscillation and chaotic mixing were enhanced apparently when the ratio of hydrophobic and hydrophilic boundary follows the golden mean.

Robotic Patterning a Superhydrophobic Surface for Collective Cell Migration Screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Yonggang; Yang, Jing; Hui, Zhixin; Grottkau, Brian E

2018-04-01

Collective cell migration, in which cells migrate as a group, is fundamental in many biological and pathological processes. There is increasing interest in studying the collective cell migration in high throughput. Cell scratching, insertion blocker, and gel-dissolving techniques are some methodologies used previously. However, these methods have the drawbacks of cell damage, substrate surface alteration, limitation in medium exchange, and solvent interference. The superhydrophobic surface, on which the water contact angle is greater than 150 degrees, has been recently utilized to generate patterned arrays. Independent cell culture areas can be generated on a substrate that functions the same as a conventional multiple well plate. However, so far there has been no report on superhydrophobic patterning for the study of cell migration. In this study, we report on the successful development of a robotically patterned superhydrophobic array for studying collective cell migration in high throughput. The array was developed on a rectangular single-well cell culture plate consisting of hydrophilic flat microwells separated by the superhydrophobic surface. The manufacturing process is robotic and includes patterning discrete protective masks to the substrate using 3D printing, robotic spray coating of silica nanoparticles, robotic mask removal, robotic mini silicone blocker patterning, automatic cell seeding, and liquid handling. Compared with a standard 96-well plate, our system increases the throughput by 2.25-fold and generates a cell-free area in each well non-destructively. Our system also demonstrates higher efficiency than conventional way of liquid handling using microwell plates, and shorter processing time than manual operating in migration assays. The superhydrophobic surface had no negative impact on cell viability. Using our system, we studied the collective migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and cancer cells using assays of endpoint

Molecular-beam epitaxy on shallow mesa gratings patterned on GaAs(311)A and (100) substrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gong, Q.; Nötzel, R.; Schönherr, H.-P.; Ploog, K.H.

2002-01-01

We report on the morphology and properties of the surface formed by molecular-beam epitaxy on shallow mesa gratings on patterned GaAs(311)A and GaAs(100). On GaAs(311)A substrates, the corrugated surface formed after GaAs growth on shallow mesa gratings along [011] is composed of monolayer high

Surface Patterning Using Diazonium Ink Filled Nanopipette.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Min; Yu, Yun; Blanchard, Pierre-Yves; Mirkin, Michael V

2015-11-03

Molecular grafting of diazonium is a widely employed surface modification technique. Local electrografting of this species is a promising approach to surface doping and related properties tailoring. The instability of diazonium cation complicates this process, so that this species was generated in situ in many reported studies. In this Article, we report the egress transfer of aryl diazonium cation across the liquid/liquid interface supported at the nanopipette tip that can be used for controlled delivery this species to the external aqueous phase for local substrate patterning. An aryl diazonium salt was prepared with weakly coordinating and lipophilic tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate anion stable as a solid and soluble in low polarity media. The chemically stable solution of this salt in 1,2-dichloroethane can be used as "diazonium ink". The ink-filled nanopipette was employed as a tip in the scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) for surface patterning with the spatial resolution controlled by the pipette orifice radius and a few nanometers film thickness. The submicrometer-size grafted spots produced on the HOPG surface were located and imaged with the atomic force microscope (AFM).

Modelling of passive heating for replication of sub-micron patterns in optical disk substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Youngmin; Bae, Jaecheol; Kim, Hongmin; Kang, Shinill [School of Mechanical Engineering, Yonsei University, 134 Shinchon-dong, Seodaemoon-ku, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2004-05-07

The transcribability of pit or land groove structures in replicating an optical disk substrate greatly affects the performance of a high-density optical disk. However, a solidified layer generated during the polymer filling worsens transcribability because the solidified layer prevents the polymer melt from filling the sub-micron patterns. Therefore, the development of the solidified layer during the filling stage of injection moulding must be delayed. For this delay, passive heating through an insulation layer has been used. In the present study, to examine the development of the solidified layer, delayed by passive heating, the flow of the polymer melt with passive heating was analysed. Passive heating delayed markedly the development of the solidified layer, reduced the viscosity of the polymer melt, and increased the fluidity of the polymer melt in the vicinity of the stamper surface with the sub-micron patterns. As a result, we predict that passive heating can improve the transcribability of an optical disk substrate. To verify our prediction, we fabricated an optical disk substrate by using passive heating of a mould and measured the transcribability of an optical disk substrate.

Modelling of passive heating for replication of sub-micron patterns in optical disk substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Youngmin; Bae, Jaecheol; Kim, Hongmin; Kang, Shinill

2004-01-01

The transcribability of pit or land groove structures in replicating an optical disk substrate greatly affects the performance of a high-density optical disk. However, a solidified layer generated during the polymer filling worsens transcribability because the solidified layer prevents the polymer melt from filling the sub-micron patterns. Therefore, the development of the solidified layer during the filling stage of injection moulding must be delayed. For this delay, passive heating through an insulation layer has been used. In the present study, to examine the development of the solidified layer, delayed by passive heating, the flow of the polymer melt with passive heating was analysed. Passive heating delayed markedly the development of the solidified layer, reduced the viscosity of the polymer melt, and increased the fluidity of the polymer melt in the vicinity of the stamper surface with the sub-micron patterns. As a result, we predict that passive heating can improve the transcribability of an optical disk substrate. To verify our prediction, we fabricated an optical disk substrate by using passive heating of a mould and measured the transcribability of an optical disk substrate

Cell patterning on poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)-patterned fluoropolymer substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Wan-Joong [Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do 580-185 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Chang-Hee; Hwang, In-Tae [Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do 580-185 (Korea, Republic of); Jung, Chan-Hee, E-mail: jch@kaeri.re.kr [Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do 580-185 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Jae-Hak, E-mail: jaehakchoi@cnu.ac.kr [Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup-si, Jeollabuk-do 580-185 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Sung-Kwon [Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chungnam National University, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-764 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-10-15

Highlights: •PFA films were functionalized by ion-beam induced surface graft polymerization. •Poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS)-patterned PFA films were prepared. •Well-organized cell patterns were obtained on PSS-patterned PFA films. •This method is useful to fabricate bio-platforms for cell-based biodevices. -- Abstract: The surface functionalization of bio-inert fluoropolymer films through ion beam-induced surface graft polymerization was investigated to control the cellular behavior. The surface of poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoropropl vinyl ether) (PFA) films was selectively activated by 150 keV H{sup +} ion implantation in the presence of a pattern mask and sodium 4-styrenesulfonate (SS) was then graft polymerized onto the implanted PFA films to form hydrophilic poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS)-patterned PFA films. The surface of the resulting PSS-patterned PFA films was investigated in terms of the degree of graft polymerization, chemical structure, chemical composition, wettability, and morphology. The analytical results revealed that PSS was selectively grafted onto the implanted regions of the PFA films. Furthermore, in vitro cell culture on the PSS-patterned PFA films exhibited a preferential adhesion and growth of cells onto the PSS-grafted regions, resulting in well-organized 100 μm cell patterns.

Cell patterning on poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)-patterned fluoropolymer substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Wan-Joong; Jung, Chang-Hee; Hwang, In-Tae; Jung, Chan-Hee; Choi, Jae-Hak; Hong, Sung-Kwon

2013-01-01

Highlights: •PFA films were functionalized by ion-beam induced surface graft polymerization. •Poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS)-patterned PFA films were prepared. •Well-organized cell patterns were obtained on PSS-patterned PFA films. •This method is useful to fabricate bio-platforms for cell-based biodevices. -- Abstract: The surface functionalization of bio-inert fluoropolymer films through ion beam-induced surface graft polymerization was investigated to control the cellular behavior. The surface of poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-perfluoropropl vinyl ether) (PFA) films was selectively activated by 150 keV H + ion implantation in the presence of a pattern mask and sodium 4-styrenesulfonate (SS) was then graft polymerized onto the implanted PFA films to form hydrophilic poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS)-patterned PFA films. The surface of the resulting PSS-patterned PFA films was investigated in terms of the degree of graft polymerization, chemical structure, chemical composition, wettability, and morphology. The analytical results revealed that PSS was selectively grafted onto the implanted regions of the PFA films. Furthermore, in vitro cell culture on the PSS-patterned PFA films exhibited a preferential adhesion and growth of cells onto the PSS-grafted regions, resulting in well-organized 100 μm cell patterns

Ordered to isotropic morphology transition in pattern-directed dewetting of polymer thin films on substrates with different feature heights.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Sudeshna; Mukherjee, Rabibrata

2012-10-24

Controlled dewetting of a thin polymer film on a topographically patterned substrate is an interesting approach for aligning isotropic dewetted structures. In this article, we investigate the influence of substrate feature height (H(S)) on the dewetting pathway and final pattern morphology by studying the dewetting of polystyrene (PS) thin films on grating substrates with identical periodicity (λ(P) = 1.5 μm), but H(S) varying between 10 nm and 120 nm. We identify four distinct categories of final dewetted morphology, with different extent of ordering: (1) array of aligned droplets (H(S) ≈ 120 nm); (2) aligned undulating ribbons (H(S) ≈ 70-100 nm); (3) multilength scale structures with coexisting large droplets uncorrelated to the substrate and smaller droplets/ribbons aligned along the stripes (H(S) ≈ 40-60 nm); and (4) large droplets completely uncorrelated to the substrate (H(S) dewetted morphologies and transition across categories remain generically unaltered. We finally show that the structures obtained by dewetting on different H(S) substrates exhibits different levels of hydrophobicity because of combined spatial variation of chemical and topographic contrast along the surface. Thus, the work reported in this article can find potential application in fabricating surfaces with controlled wettability.

Nanostructure Formation by controlled dewetting on patterned substrates: A combined theoretical, modeling and experimental study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Liang-Xing; Wang, Ying-Min; Srinivasan, Bharathi Madurai; Asbahi, Mohamed; Yang, Joel K W; Zhang, Yong-Wei

2016-09-01

We perform systematic two-dimensional energetic analysis to study the stability of various nanostructures formed by dewetting solid films deposited on patterned substrates. Our analytical results show that by controlling system parameters such as the substrate surface pattern, film thickness and wetting angle, a variety of equilibrium nanostructures can be obtained. Phase diagrams are presented to show the complex relations between these system parameters and various nanostructure morphologies. We further carry out both phase field simulations and dewetting experiments to validate the analytically derived phase diagrams. Good agreements between the results from our energetic analyses and those from our phase field simulations and experiments verify our analysis. Hence, the phase diagrams presented here provide guidelines for using solid-state dewetting as a tool to achieve various nanostructures.

Enhanced printability of thermoplastic polyurethane substrates by silica particles surface interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cruz, S., E-mail: s.cruz@dep.uminho.pt [IPC/I3N – Institute of Polymers and Composites/Inst. of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication, Department Polymer Engineering, University of Minho, 4804-533 Guimarães (Portugal); Rocha, L.A. [CMEMS, University of Minho, 4804-533 Guimarães (Portugal); Viana, J.C. [IPC/I3N – Institute of Polymers and Composites/Inst. of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication, Department Polymer Engineering, University of Minho, 4804-533 Guimarães (Portugal)

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A new method development for surface treatment of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) substrates. • The proposed method increases TPU surface energy (by 45%) and consequently the TPU wettability. • Great increase of the TPU surface roughness (by 621%). • Inkjet printed conductive ink was applied to the surface treated TPU substrate and significant improvements on the printability were obtained. - Abstract: A new method developed for the surface treatment of thermoplastic polymer substrates that increases their surface energies is introduced in this paper. The method is environmental friendly and low cost. In the proposed surface treatment method, nanoparticles are spread over the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) flexible substrate surface and then thermally fixed. This latter step allows the nanoparticles sinking-in on the polymer surface, resulting in a higher polymer–particle interaction at their interfacial region. The addition of nanoparticles onto the polymer surface increases surface roughness. The extent of the nanoparticles dispersion and sink-in in the substrate was evaluated through microscopy analysis (SEM). The roughness of the surface treated polymeric substrate was evaluated by AFM analysis. Substrate critical surface tension (ST) was measured by contact angle. In general, a homogeneous roughness form is achieved to a certain level. Great increase of the TPU surface roughness (by 621%) was induced by the propose method. The proposed surface treatment method increased significantly the substrate ST (by 45%) and consequently the TPU wettability. This novel surface treatment of thermoplastic polymers was applied to the inkjet printing of TPU substrates with conductive inks, and significant improvements on the printability were obtained.

Thermocapillary migration of liquids on patterned surfaces : design concept for microfluidic

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Darhuber, A.A.; Davis, J.M.; Reisner, W.W.; Troian, S.M.

2001-01-01

We present a novel method of fluidic transport on the open surface of a chemically patterned substrate using thermocapillary actuation. Our experimental and numerical studies provide the desired correlations between the microstream flow rate and tunable parameters like the liquid sample volume,

Two-Dimensional Titanium Carbide (MXene) as Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarycheva, Asia [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Makaryan, Taron [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Maleski, Kathleen [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States); Satheeshkumar, Elumalai [National Cheng Kung Univ., Tainan (Taiwan); National Institute of Technology-Trichy, Tamil Nadu (India); Melikyan, Armen [Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) State Univ., Yerevan (Armenia); Minassian, Hayk [A. Alikhanian National Science Lab., Yerevan (Armenia); Yoshimura, Masahiro [National Cheng Kung Univ., Tainan (Taiwan); Gogotsi, Yury G. [Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States)

2017-08-22

Here, noble metal (gold or silver) nanoparticles or patterned films are typically used as substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Two-dimensional (2D) carbides and nitrides (MXenes) exhibit unique electronic and optical properties, including metallic conductivity and plasmon resonance in the visible or near-infrared range, making them promising candidates for a wide variety of applications. Herein, we show that 2D titanium carbide, Ti₃C₂T_x, enhances Raman signal from organic dyes on a substrate and in solution. As a proof of concept, MXene SERS substrates were manufactured by spray-coating and used to detect several common dyes, with calculated enhancement factors reaching ~10⁶. Titanium carbide MXene demonstrates SERS effect in aqueous colloidal solutions, suggesting the potential for biomedical or environmental applications, where MXene can selectively enhance positively charged molecules.

Surface magnetization and the role of pattern defects in various types of ripple patterned films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colino, Jose M; Arranz, Miguel A; Barbero, Antonio J; Bollero, A; Camarero, J

2016-01-01

We present a detailed study of the magnetic properties of cobalt films with wide-area nanoscale ripple patterns, either on their surface only, or on both the film surface and substrate interface. Angular dependence vectorial-resolved magnetometry measurements and magnetic force microscopy with in situ magnetic field have been used to determine the magnetization reversal processes to correlate them to the different patterned nanostructures. All the samples show well-defined uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with the anisotropy axis lying along the ripple direction. Atomic force microscopy of the different types of pattern reveals various pattern defects: height corrugation and breaks of continuity along the ripple direction, and overlapping ripples and Y-shaped defects (pattern dislocation) across the pattern. In spite of the existence of such customary defects of erosive-regime patterns, the type of low-amplitude, surface-patterned films remarkably behave as a macrospin over almost the whole in-plane angular range (340°), with negligible spread of anisotropy axis or energy. In turn, it is found that high-amplitude surface-patterned films develop an angular distribution of anisotropy axes, probably related to the large distribution of amplitudes in a pattern of short ripples, and a significant distribution of anisotropy fields ΔH k /H k up to 15%. On the other hand, films grow on pre-patterned silicon with a significantly longer mean ripple length, and develop a larger anisotropy energy with H k up to 110 mT, probably because of the double interface effect. The switching fields close to the magnetization easy axis of all types of ripple pattern are not well reproduced by the macrospin approximation, but the observed pattern defects seem to be not responsible for the domain wall pinning that occurs with the field applied along the ripple direction. (paper)

Simple micro-patterning of high conductive polymer with UV-nano-imprinted patterned substrate and ethylene glycol-based second doping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takamatsu, Seiichi; Kurihara, Kazuma; Yamashita, Takahiro; Itoh, Toshihiro

2014-01-01

We have developed a simple micro-patterning process for high conductive polymer (i.e., poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS)) with a patterned substrate by using an ultraviolet (UV) nano-imprint and an ethylene glycol-based second doping technique. In the patterning process, the PEDOT:PSS water dispersion is first coated only on the hydrophilic area, which is fabricated by UV nano-imprinting, forming patterned PEDOT:PSS on the substrate. The patterned PEDOT:PSS film is then immersed in the ethylene glycol as a second doping technique for increasing its conductivity. The proposed process provides simplicity in terms of shorter process steps of the UV nano-imprinting and PEDOT:PSS coating and higher conductivity of patterned PEDOT:PSS film than existing complicated micro-fabrication processes for organic materials. The 200 nm wide nano-imprinted pillar structures change the wettability of the substrate where the contact angle of the substrate is decreased from 66.8° to 33.3°. The patterning resolution with the nano-imprinted pattern substrate is down to 100 µm, which is useful for sensor applications. The conductivity increase delivers a low sheet resistance (120 Ω sq −1 ) of patterned PEDOT:PSS film. Then, the patterning of PEDOT:PSS sensor shapes with its 300 µm wide feature line and high conductivity are demonstrated. Therefore, our process leads to applications to a variety of PEDOT:PSS-based sensors. (paper)

Non-leaky modes and bandgaps of surface acoustic waves in wrinkled stiff-film/compliant-substrate bilayers

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Guo-Yang; Xu, Guoqiang; Zheng, Yang; Cao, Yanping

2018-03-01

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices have found a wide variety of technical applications, including SAW filters, SAW resonators, microfluidic actuators, biosensors, flow measurement devices, and seismic wave shields. Stretchable/flexible electronic devices, such as sensory skins for robotics, structural health monitors, and wearable communication devices, have received considerable attention across different disciplines. Flexible SAW devices are essential building blocks for these applications, wherein piezoelectric films may need to be integrated with the compliant substrates. When piezoelectric films are much stiffer than soft substrates, SAWs are usually leaky and the devices incorporating them suffer from acoustic losses. In this study, the propagation of SAWs in a wrinkled bilayer system is investigated, and our analysis shows that non-leaky modes can be achieved by engineering stress patterns through surface wrinkles in the system. Our analysis also uncovers intriguing bandgaps (BGs) related to the SAWs in a wrinkled bilayer system; these are caused by periodic deformation patterns, which indicate that diverse wrinkling patterns could be used as metasurfaces for controlling the propagation of SAWs.

High resolution laser patterning of ITO on PET substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Tao; Liu, Di; Park, Hee K.; Yu, Dong X.; Hwang, David J.

2013-03-01

Cost-effective laser patterning of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film coated on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film substrate for touch panel was studied. The target scribing width was set to the order of 10 μm in order to examine issues involved with higher feature resolution. Picosecond-pulsed laser and Q-switched nanosecond-pulsed laser at the wavelength of 532nm were applied for the comparison of laser patterning in picosecond and nanosecond regimes. While relatively superior scribing quality was achieved by picosecond laser, 532 nm wavelength showed a limitation due to weaker absorption in ITO film. In order to seek for cost-effective solution for high resolution ITO scribing, nanosecond laser pulses were applied and performance of 532nm and 1064nm wavelengths were compared. 1064nm wavelength shows relatively better scribing quality due to the higher absorption ratio in ITO film, yet at noticeable substrate damage. Through single pulse based scribing experiments, we inspected that reduced pulse overlapping is preferred in order to minimize the substrate damage during line patterning.

Germanium growth on electron beam lithography patterned Si3N4/Si(001) substrate using molecular beam epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkar, Subhendu Sinha; Katiyar, Ajit K.; Sarkar, Arijit; Dhar, Achintya; Rudra, Arun; Khatri, Ravinder K.; Ray, Samit Kumar

2018-04-01

It is important to investigate the growth dynamics of Ge adatoms under different surface stress regimes of the patterned dielectric to control the selective growth of self-assembled Ge nanostructures on silicon. In the present work, we have studied the growth of Ge by molecular beam epitaxy on nanometer scale patterned Si3N4/Si(001) substrates generated using electron beam lithography. The pitch of the patterns has been varied to investigate its effect on the growth of Ge in comparison to un-patterned Si3N4. For the patterned Si3N4 film, Ge did not desorbed completely from the Si3N4 film and hence no site selective growth pattern is observed. Instead, depending upon the pitch, Ge growth has occurred in different growth modes around the openings in the Si3N4. For the un-patterned substrate, the morphology exhibits the occurrence of uniform 3D clustering of Ge adatoms on Si3N4 film. This variation in the growth modes of Ge is attributed to the variation of residual stress in the Si3N4 film for different pitch of holes, which has been confirmed theoretically through Comsol Multiphysics simulation. The variation in stress for different pitches resulted in modulation of surface energy of the Si3N4 film leading to the different growth modes of Ge.

Surface control alloy substrates and methods of manufacture therefor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fritzemeier, Leslie G. (Mendon, MA); Li, Qi (Marlborough, MA); Rupich, Martin W. (Framingham, MA); Thompson, Elliott D. (Coventry, RI); Siegal, Edward J. (Malden, MA); Thieme, Cornelis Leo Hans (Westborough, MA); Annavarapu, Suresh (Brookline, MA); Arendt, Paul N. (Los Alamos, NM); Foltyn, Stephen R. (Los Alamos, NM)

2004-05-04

Methods and articles for controlling the surface of an alloy substrate for deposition of an epitaxial layer. The invention includes the use of an intermediate layer to stabilize the substrate surface against oxidation for subsequent deposition of an epitaxial layer.

Droplet Drying Patterns on Solid Substrates: From Hydrophilic to Superhydrophobic Contact to Levitating Drops

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sujata Tarafdar

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This review is devoted to the simple process of drying a multicomponent droplet of a complex fluid which may contain salt or other inclusions. These processes provide a fascinating subject for study. The explanation of the rich variety of patterns formed is not only an academic challenge but also a problem of practical importance, as applications are growing in medical diagnosis and improvement of coating/printing technology. The fundamental scientific problem is the study of the mechanism of micro- and nanoparticle self-organization in open systems. The specific fundamental problems to be solved, related to this system, are the investigation of the mass transfer processes, the formation and evolution of phase fronts, and the identification of mechanisms of pattern formation. The drops of liquid containing dissolved substances and suspended particles are assumed to be drying on a horizontal solid insoluble smooth substrate. The chemical composition and macroscopic properties of the complex fluid, the concentration and nature of the salt, the surface energy of the substrate, and the interaction between the fluid and substrate which determines the wetting all affect the final morphology of the dried film. The range of our study encompasses the fully wetting case with zero contact angle between the fluid and substrate to the case where the drop is levitated in space, so there is no contact with a substrate and angle of contact can be considered as 180°.

Multi-scale graphene patterns on arbitrary substrates via laser-assisted transfer-printing process

KAUST Repository

Park, J. B.

2012-01-01

A laser-assisted transfer-printing process is developed for multi-scale graphene patterns on arbitrary substrates using femtosecond laser scanning on a graphene/metal substrate and transfer techniques without using multi-step patterning processes. The short pulse nature of a femtosecond laser on a graphene/copper sheet enables fabrication of high-resolution graphene patterns. Thanks to the scale up, fast, direct writing, multi-scale with high resolution, and reliable process characteristics, it can be an alternative pathway to the multi-step photolithography methods for printing arbitrary graphene patterns on desired substrates. We also demonstrate transparent strain devices without expensive photomasks and multi-step patterning process. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Complex Pattern Formation from Current-Driven Dynamics of Single-Layer Homoepitaxial Islands on Crystalline Conducting Substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Ashish; Dasgupta, Dwaipayan; Maroudas, Dimitrios

2017-07-01

We report a systematic study of complex pattern formation resulting from the driven dynamics of single-layer homoepitaxial islands on surfaces of face-centered-cubic (fcc) crystalline conducting substrates under the action of an externally applied electric field. The analysis is based on an experimentally validated nonlinear model of mass transport via island edge atomic diffusion, which also accounts for edge diffusional anisotropy. We analyze the morphological stability and simulate the field-driven evolution of rounded islands for an electric field oriented along the fast edge diffusion direction. For larger-than-critical island sizes on {110 } and {100 } fcc substrates, we show that multiple necking instabilities generate complex island patterns, including not-simply-connected void-containing islands mediated by sequences of breakup and coalescence events and distributed symmetrically with respect to the electric field direction. We analyze the dependence of the formed patterns on the original island size and on the duration of application of the external field. Starting from a single large rounded island, we characterize the evolution of the number of daughter islands and their average size and uniformity. The evolution of the average island size follows a universal power-law scaling relation, and the evolution of the total edge length of the islands in the complex pattern follows Kolmogorov-Johnson-Mehl-Avrami kinetics. Our study makes a strong case for the use of electric fields, as precisely controlled macroscopic forcing, toward surface patterning involving complex nanoscale features.

A substrate independent approach for generation of surface gradients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goreham, Renee V. [Mawson Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes 5095 (Australia); Mierczynska, Agnieszka; Pierce, Madelene [Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes 5095 (Australia); Short, Robert D.; Taheri, Shima; Bachhuka, Akash; Cavallaro, Alex; Smith, Louise E. [Mawson Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes 5095 (Australia); Vasilev, Krasimir, E-mail: krasimir.vasilev@unisa.edu.au [Mawson Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes 5095 (Australia)

2013-01-01

Recently, surface gradients have attracted significant interest for various research and technological applications. In this paper, we report a facile and versatile method for generating surface gradients of immobilized nanoparticles, nanotopography and ligands that is independent from the substrate material. The method consists of first depositing a functional polymer layer on a substrate and subsequent time controlled immersion of this functionalized substrate in solution gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) or poly (styrenesulfonate) (PSS). Chemical characterization by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and morphological analysis by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) show that the density of nanoparticles and the concentration of PSS across the surface increases in a gradient manner. As expected, time of immersion determines the concentration of surface bound species. We also demonstrate the generation of surface gradients of pure nanotopography. This is achieved by depositing a 5 nm thick plasma polymer layer on top of the number density gradient of nanoparticles to achieve a homogeneous surface chemistry. The surface independent approach for generation of surface gradients presented in this paper may open opportunities for a wider use of surface gradient in research and in various technologies. - Highlights: ► We present a substrate independent approach for generation of surface gradients. ► We demonstrate well-defined density gradients of gold and silver nanoparticles. ► We provide an example of pure surface nanotopography gradients. ► We demonstrate concentration gradients of bound ligands.

A substrate independent approach for generation of surface gradients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goreham, Renee V.; Mierczynska, Agnieszka; Pierce, Madelene; Short, Robert D.; Taheri, Shima; Bachhuka, Akash; Cavallaro, Alex; Smith, Louise E.; Vasilev, Krasimir

2013-01-01

Recently, surface gradients have attracted significant interest for various research and technological applications. In this paper, we report a facile and versatile method for generating surface gradients of immobilized nanoparticles, nanotopography and ligands that is independent from the substrate material. The method consists of first depositing a functional polymer layer on a substrate and subsequent time controlled immersion of this functionalized substrate in solution gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) or poly (styrenesulfonate) (PSS). Chemical characterization by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and morphological analysis by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) show that the density of nanoparticles and the concentration of PSS across the surface increases in a gradient manner. As expected, time of immersion determines the concentration of surface bound species. We also demonstrate the generation of surface gradients of pure nanotopography. This is achieved by depositing a 5 nm thick plasma polymer layer on top of the number density gradient of nanoparticles to achieve a homogeneous surface chemistry. The surface independent approach for generation of surface gradients presented in this paper may open opportunities for a wider use of surface gradient in research and in various technologies. - Highlights: ► We present a substrate independent approach for generation of surface gradients. ► We demonstrate well-defined density gradients of gold and silver nanoparticles. ► We provide an example of pure surface nanotopography gradients. ► We demonstrate concentration gradients of bound ligands

Multi-scale graphene patterns on arbitrary substrates via laser-assisted transfer-printing process

KAUST Repository

Park, J. B.; Yoo, J.-H.; Grigoropoulos, C. P.

2012-01-01

A laser-assisted transfer-printing process is developed for multi-scale graphene patterns on arbitrary substrates using femtosecond laser scanning on a graphene/metal substrate and transfer techniques without using multi-step patterning processes

Conformal ZnO nanocomposite coatings on micro-patterned surfaces for superhydrophobicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steele, Adam; Bayer, Ilker; Moran, Stephen; Cannon, Andrew; King, William P.; Loth, Eric

2010-01-01

A conformal coating process is presented to transform surfaces with inherent micro-morphology into superhydrophobic surfaces with hierarchical surface structure using wet chemical spray casting. Nanocomposite coatings composed of zinc oxide nanoparticles and organosilane quaternary nitrogen compound are dispersed in solution for application. The coating is applied to a micro-patterned polydimethylsiloxane substrate with a regular array of cylindrical microposts as well as a surface with random micro-structure for the purpose of demonstrating improved non-wettability and a superhydrophobic state for water droplets. Coating surface morphology is investigated with an environmental scanning electron microscope and surface wettability performance is characterized by static and dynamic contact angle measurements.

Transfer of microstructure pattern of CNTs onto flexible substrate using hot press technique for sensing applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, Prabhash; Tai, Nyan-Hwa; Harsh; Islam, S.S.

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Successfully transfer of microstructure patterned CNTs on PET substrate. • Demonstrate as resistor-based NH 3 gas sensor in the sub-ppm range. • Excellent photodetector having instantaneous response and recovery characteristics. • An effective technique to grow and produce flexible electronic device. - Abstract: In this work, we report the successful and efficient transfer process of two- dimensional (2-D) vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate by hot pressing method with an aim to develop flexible sensor devices. Carbon nanotubes are synthesized by cold wall thermal chemical vapor deposition using patterned SiO 2 substrate under low pressure. The height of the pattern of CNTs is controlled by reaction time. The entire growth and transfer process is carried out within 30 min. Strong adhesion between the nanotube and polyethylene terephthalate substrate was observed in the post-transferred case. Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies are used to analyze the microstructure of carbon nanotube film before and after hot pressing. This technique shows great potential for the fabrication of flexible sensing devices. We report for the first time, the application of patterned microstructure developed by this technique in the development of gas sensor and optoelectronic device. Surface resistive mode is used for detection of ammonia (NH 3 ) gas in the sub-ppm range. An impressive photoconducting response is also observed in the visible wavelength. The reproducibility of the sample was checked and the results indicate the possibility of use of carbon nanotube as gas sensor, photodetector, CCDs etc

Transfer of microstructure pattern of CNTs onto flexible substrate using hot press technique for sensing applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mishra, Prabhash [Department of Material Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China); Nano-Sensor Research Laboratory, F/O Engineering and Technology, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi (India); Tai, Nyan-Hwa [Department of Material Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan (China); Harsh [Nano-Sensor Research Laboratory, F/O Engineering and Technology, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi (India); Islam, S.S., E-mail: safiul5996@gmail.com [Nano-Sensor Research Laboratory, F/O Engineering and Technology, Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi (India)

2013-08-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Successfully transfer of microstructure patterned CNTs on PET substrate. • Demonstrate as resistor-based NH{sub 3} gas sensor in the sub-ppm range. • Excellent photodetector having instantaneous response and recovery characteristics. • An effective technique to grow and produce flexible electronic device. - Abstract: In this work, we report the successful and efficient transfer process of two- dimensional (2-D) vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate by hot pressing method with an aim to develop flexible sensor devices. Carbon nanotubes are synthesized by cold wall thermal chemical vapor deposition using patterned SiO{sub 2} substrate under low pressure. The height of the pattern of CNTs is controlled by reaction time. The entire growth and transfer process is carried out within 30 min. Strong adhesion between the nanotube and polyethylene terephthalate substrate was observed in the post-transferred case. Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM) studies are used to analyze the microstructure of carbon nanotube film before and after hot pressing. This technique shows great potential for the fabrication of flexible sensing devices. We report for the first time, the application of patterned microstructure developed by this technique in the development of gas sensor and optoelectronic device. Surface resistive mode is used for detection of ammonia (NH{sub 3}) gas in the sub-ppm range. An impressive photoconducting response is also observed in the visible wavelength. The reproducibility of the sample was checked and the results indicate the possibility of use of carbon nanotube as gas sensor, photodetector, CCDs etc.

Patterned Electroplating of Micrometer Scale Magnetic Structures on Glass Substrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vries, A.H.B.; Kanger, Johannes S.; Krenn, Bea E.; van Driel, Roel

2004-01-01

This paper has developed a new method of micro patterned electroplating that enables the fabrication of micrometer scale magnetic structures on glass substrates. In contrast to other methods, the process as developed here leaves the surrounding substrate area untouched: that is there is no seed

Patterned electroplating of micrometer scale magnetic structures on glass substrates.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vries, A.H.B.; Kanger, S.J.; Krenn, G.E.; van Driel, R.

2004-01-01

This paper has developed a new method of micro patterned electroplating that enables the fabrication of micrometer scale magnetic structures on glass substrates. In contrast to other methods, the process as developed here leaves the surrounding substrate area untouched: that is there is no seed

Temperature dependence of ordered GeSi island growth on patterned Si (001) substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ZhongZhenyang; Chen Peixuan; Jiang Zuimin; Bauer, Guenther

2008-01-01

Statistical information on GeSi islands grown on two-dimensionally pit-patterned Si substrates at different temperatures is presented. Three growth regimes on patterned substrates are identified: (i) kinetically limited growth at low growth temperatures, (ii) ordered island growth in an intermediate temperature range, and (iii) stochastic island growth within pits at high temperatures. A qualitative model based on growth kinetics is proposed to explain these phenomena. It can serve as a guidance to realize optimum growth conditions for ordered islands on patterned substrates

Alloyed surfaces: New substrates for graphene growth

Science.gov (United States)

Tresca, C.; Verbitskiy, N. I.; Fedorov, A.; Grüneis, A.; Profeta, G.

2017-11-01

We report a systematic ab-initio density functional theory investigation of Ni(111) surface alloyed with elements of group IV (Si, Ge and Sn), demonstrating the possibility to use it to grow high quality graphene. Ni(111) surface represents an ideal substrate for graphene, due to its catalytic properties and perfect matching with the graphene lattice constant. However, Dirac bands of graphene growth on Ni(111) are completely destroyed due to the strong hybridization between carbon pz and Ni d orbitals. Group IV atoms, namely Si, Ge and Sn, once deposited on Ni(111) surface, form an ordered alloyed surface with √{ 3} ×√{ 3} -R30° reconstruction. We demonstrate that, at variance with the pure Ni(111) surface, alloyed surfaces effectively decouple graphene from the substrate, resulting unstrained due to the nearly perfect lattice matching and preserves linear Dirac bands without the strong hybridization with Ni d states. The proposed surfaces can be prepared before graphene growth without resorting on post-growth processes which necessarily alter the electronic and structural properties of graphene.

Rapid Detection and Identification of miRNAs by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Using Hollow Au Nanoflowers Substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaowei Cao

2017-01-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs are recognized as regulators of gene expression during the biological processes of cells as well as biomarkers of many diseases. Development of rapid and sensitive miRNA profiling methods is crucial for evaluating the pattern of miRNA expression related to normal and diseased states. This work presents a novel hollow Au nanoflowers (HAuNFs substrate for rapid detection and identification of miRNAs by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS spectroscopy. We synthesized the HAuNFs by a seed-mediated growth approach. Then, HAuNFs substrates were fabricated by depositing HAuNFs onto the surfaces of (3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane- (APTES- functionalized ITO glass. The result demonstrated that HAuNFs substrates had very good reproducibility, homogeneous SERS activity, and high SERS effect. The substrates enabled us to successfully obtain the SERS spectra of miR-10a-5p, miR-125a-5p, and miR-196a-5p. The difference spectra among the three kinds of miRNAs were studied to better interpret the spectral differences and identify miRNA expression patterns with high accuracy. The principal component analysis (PCA of the SERS spectra was used to distinguish among the three kinds of miRNAs. Considering its time efficiency, being label-free, and its sensitivity, the SERS based on HAuNFs substrates is very promising for miRNA research and plays an important role in early disease detection and prevention.

Investigation the effects of metallic substrate surfaces due to ion-plasma treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shulaev, V.M.; Taran, V.S.; Timoshenko, A.I.; Gasilin, V.V.

2011-01-01

It has been found correlation between modification effects and duration of ion-plasma cleaning the substrate surface with titanium ions. Experiments were carried out using serial vacuum-arc equipment ''Bulat-6'' at the stationary mode in non-filtered titanium plasma, which contained considerable quantity of evaporated material droplets. The polished cylinder substrates (diameter and height 9,14,20 mm) have been treated. The substrates were manufactured of stainless steel 12X18H10T and non-oxygen copper M00b. The substrates surface roughness after ion-plasma treatment has been investigated with electron microscope JEOL JSM-840 and optic interference non-contact profilograph- profilometer ''Micron-alpha''. According obtained results the surface of copper and stainless steel substrates has been treated to intensive modification, i.e. substrate surface after treatment significantly differs from initial one. During final ion-plasma treatment a number of effects occur: purification from surface oxides is accompanied with metallic surface ''contamination'' by the cathode material macrodroplets, surface micromelting accompanied by roughness increase, the surface layer annealing with noticeable decrease of hardness.

Surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy substrate for arsenic sensing in groundwater

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Peidong; Mulvihill, Martin; Tao, Andrea R.; Sinsermsuksakul, Prasert; Arnold, John

2015-06-16

A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate formed from a plurality of monolayers of polyhedral silver nanocrystals, wherein at least one of the monolayers has polyvinypyrrolidone (PVP) on its surface, and thereby configured for sensing arsenic is described. Highly active SERS substrates are formed by assembling high density monolayers of differently shaped silver nanocrystals onto a solid support. SERS detection is performed directly on this substrate by placing a droplet of the analyte solution onto the nanocrystal monolayer. Adsorbed polymer, polyvinypyrrolidone (PVP), on the surface of the nanoparticles facilitates the binding of both arsenate and arsenite near the silver surface, allowing for highly accurate and sensitive detection capabilities.

Controlling droplet-based deposition uniformity of long silver nanowires by micrometer scale substrate patterning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, Nandita; Cross, Graham L W

2015-01-01

We report control of droplet-deposit uniformity of long silver nanowires suspended in solutions by microscopic influence of the liquid contact line. Substrates with microfabricated line patterns with a pitch far smaller than mean wire length lead to deposit thickness uniformity compared to unpatterned substrates. For high boiling-point solvents, two significant effects were observed: The substrate patterns suppressed coffee ring staining, and the wire deposits exhibited a common orientation lying perpendicular over top the lines. The latter result is completely distinct from previously reported substrate groove channeling effects. This work shows that microscopic influence of the droplet contact line geometry including the contact angle by altered substrate wetting allows significant and advantageous influence of deposition patterns of wire-like solutes as the drop dries. (paper)

Photoluminescence investigation of strictly ordered Ge dots grown on pit-patterned Si substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brehm, Moritz; Grydlik, Martyna; Tayagaki, Takeshi; Schmidt, Oliver G; Langer, Gregor; Schäffler, Friedrich

2015-01-01

We investigate the optical properties of ordered Ge quantum dots (QDs) by means of micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). These were grown on pit-patterned Si(001) substrates with a wide range of pit-periods and thus inter QD-distances (425–3400 nm). By exploiting almost arbitrary inter-QD distances achievable in this way we are able to choose the number of QDs that contribute to the PL emission in a range between 70 and less than three QDs. This well-defined system allows us to clarify, by PL-investigation, several points which are important for the understanding of the formation and optical properties of ordered QDs. We directly trace and quantify the amount of Ge transferred from the surrounding wetting layer (WL) to the QDs in the pits. Moreover, by exploiting different pit-shapes, we reveal the role of strain-induced activation energy barriers that have to be overcome for charge carriers generated outside the dots. These need to diffuse between the energy minimum of the WL in and between the pits, and the one in the QDs. In addition, we demonstrate that the WL in the pits is already severely intermixed with Si before upright QDs nucleate, which further enhances intermixing of ordered QDs as compared to QDs grown on planar substrates. Furthermore, we quantitatively determine the amount of Ge transferred by surface diffusion through the border region between planar and patterned substrate. This is important for the growth of ordered islands on patterned fields of finite size. We highlight that the Ge WL-facets in the pits act as PL emission centres, similar to upright QDs. (paper)

Response of human corneal fibroblasts on silk film surface patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Gil, Eun Seok; Park, Sang-Hyug; Marchant, Jeff; Omenetto, Fiorenzo; Kaplan, David L

2010-06-11

Transparent, biodegradable, mechanically robust, and surface-patterned silk films were evaluated for the effect of surface morphology on human corneal fibroblast (hCF) cell proliferation, orientation, and ECM deposition and alignment. A series of dimensionally different surface groove patterns were prepared from optically graded glass substrates followed by casting poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) replica molds. The features on the patterned silk films showed an array of asymmetric triangles and displayed 37-342 nm depths and 445-3 582 nm widths. hCF DNA content on all patterned films were not significantly different from that on flat silk films after 4 d in culture. However, the depth and width of the grooves influenced cell alignment, while the depth differences affected cell orientation; overall, deeper and narrower grooves induced more hCF orientation. Over 14 d in culture, cell layers and actin filament organization demonstrated that confluent hCFs and their cytoskeletal filaments were oriented along the direction of the silk film patterned groove axis. Collagen type V and proteoglycans (decorin and biglycan), important markers of corneal stromal tissue, were highly expressed with alignment. Understanding corneal stromal fibroblast responses to surface features on a protein-based biomaterial applicable in vivo for corneal repair potential suggests options to improve corneal tissue mimics. Further, the approaches provide fundamental biomaterial designs useful for bioengineering oriented tissue layers, an endemic feature in most biological tissue structures that lead to critical tissue functions.

Surface patterning of multilayer graphene by ultraviolet laser irradiation in biomolecule sensing devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Tien-Li, E-mail: tlchang@ntnu.edu.tw; Chen, Zhao-Chi

2015-12-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Direct UV laser irradiation on multilayer graphene was discussed. • Multilayer graphene with screen-printed process was presented. • Surface patterning of multilayer graphene at fluence threshold was investigated. • Electrical response of glucose in sensing devices can be studied. - Abstract: The study presents a direct process for surface patterning of multilayer graphene on the glass substrate as a biosensing device. In contrast to lithography with etching, the proposed process provides simultaneous surface patterning of multilayer graphene through nanosecond laser irradiation. In this study, the multilayer graphene was prepared by a screen printing process. Additionally, the wavelength of the laser beam was 355 nm. To perform the effective laser process with the small heat affected zone, the surface patterns on the sensing devices could be directly fabricated using the laser with optimal control of the pulse overlap at a fluence threshold of 0.63 J/cm{sup 2}. The unique patterning of the laser-ablated surface exhibits their electrical and hydrophilic characteristics. The hydrophilic surface of graphene-based sensing devices was achieved in the process with the pulse overlap of 90%. Furthermore, the sensing devices for controlling the electrical response of glucose by using glucose oxidase can be used in sensors in commercial medical applications.

Laser-based surface patterning of composite plates for improved secondary adhesive bonding

KAUST Repository

Tao, Ran

2018-03-01

The effects of laser irradiation surface pretreatments on the mode I fracture toughness of adhesively bonded composite joints were evaluated. First, pulsed CO2 laser irradiation was uniformly deployed on carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) substrates. Next, double cantilever beam (DCB) tests were performed to assess the effects of surface pretreatments on the mode I fracture toughness of the adhesive joints. Then, a thoughtful combination of the proposed surface pretreatments was deployed to fabricate DCB specimens with patterned interfaces. A wide range of techniques, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact profilometry, and optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to ascertain the effects of all investigated surface pretreatments. It is shown that patterning promoted damage mechanisms that were not observed in the uniformly treated interfaces, resulting in an effective fracture toughness well above that predicted by a classical rule of mixture.

Laser-based surface patterning of composite plates for improved secondary adhesive bonding

KAUST Repository

Tao, Ran; Alfano, Marco; Lubineau, Gilles

2018-01-01

The effects of laser irradiation surface pretreatments on the mode I fracture toughness of adhesively bonded composite joints were evaluated. First, pulsed CO2 laser irradiation was uniformly deployed on carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) substrates. Next, double cantilever beam (DCB) tests were performed to assess the effects of surface pretreatments on the mode I fracture toughness of the adhesive joints. Then, a thoughtful combination of the proposed surface pretreatments was deployed to fabricate DCB specimens with patterned interfaces. A wide range of techniques, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact profilometry, and optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to ascertain the effects of all investigated surface pretreatments. It is shown that patterning promoted damage mechanisms that were not observed in the uniformly treated interfaces, resulting in an effective fracture toughness well above that predicted by a classical rule of mixture.

Preparation of surface enhanced Raman substrate and its characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Y.; Wang, J. Y.; Wang, J. Q.

2017-10-01

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a fast, convenient and highly sensitive detection technique, and preparing the good effect and repeatable substrate is the key to realize the trace amount and quantitative detection in the field of food safety detection. In this paper, a surface enhanced Raman substrate based on submicrometer silver particles structure was prepared by chemical deposition method, and characterized its structure and optical properties.

Substrate texture properties induce triatomine probing on bitten warm surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorenzo Marcelo G

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In this work we initially evaluated whether the biting process of Rhodnius prolixus relies on the detection of mechanical properties of the substrate. A linear thermal source was used to simulate the presence of a blood vessel under the skin of a host. This apparatus consisted of an aluminium plate and a nickel-chrome wire, both thermostatized and presented at 33 and 36°C, respectively. To evaluate whether mechanical properties of the substrate affect the biting behaviour of bugs, this apparatus was covered by a latex membrane. Additionally, we evaluated whether the expression of probing depends on the integration of bilateral thermal inputs from the antennae. Results The presence of a latex cover on a thermal source induced a change in the biting pattern shown by bugs. In fact, with latex covered sources it was possible to observe long bites that were never performed in response to warm metal surfaces. The total number of bites was higher in intact versus unilaterally antennectomized insects. These bites were significantly longer in intact than in unilaterally antennectomized insects. Conclusions Our results suggest that substrate recognition by simultaneous input through thermal and mechanical modalities is required for triggering maxillary probing activity.

Surface-plasmon enhanced photoemission of a silver nano-patterned photocathode

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Z.; Li, R.; To, H.; Andonian, G.; Pirez, E.; Meade, D.; Maxson, J.; Musumeci, P.

2017-09-01

Nano-patterned photocathodes (NPC) take advantage of plasmonic effects to resonantly increase absorption of light and localize electromagnetic field intensity on metal surfaces leading to surface-plasmon enhanced photoemission. In this paper, we report the status of NPC research at UCLA including in particular the optimization of the dimensions of a nanohole array on a silver wafer to enhance plasmonic response at 800 nm light, the development of a spectrally-resolved reflectivity measurement setup for quick nanopattern validation, and of a novel cathode plug to enable high power tests of NPCs on single crystal substrates in a high gradient radiofrequency gun.

Silver inkjet printing with control of surface energy and substrate temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S-H; Shin, K-Y; Hwang, J Y; Kang, K T; Kang, H S

2008-01-01

The characteristics of silver inkjet printing were intensively investigated with control of surface energy and substrate temperature. A fluorocarbon (FC) film was spincoated on a silicon (Si) substrate to obtain a hydrophobic surface, and an ultraviolet (UV)/ozone (O 3 ) treatment was performed to control the surface wettability of the FC film surface. To characterize the surface changes, we performed measurements of the static and dynamic contact angles and calculated the surface energy by Wu's harmonic mean model. The surface energy of the FC film increased with the UV/O 3 treatment time, while the contact angles decreased. In silver inkjet printing, the hydrophobic FC film could reduce the diameter of the printed droplets. Merging of deposited droplets was observed when the substrate was kept at room temperature. Substrate heating was effective in preventing the merging phenomenon among the deposited droplets, and in reducing the width of printed lines. The merging phenomenon of deposited droplets was also prevented by increasing the UV/O 3 treatment time. Continuous silver lines in the width range of 48.04–139.21 µm were successfully achieved by inkjet printing on the UV/O 3 -treated hydrophobic FC films at substrate temperatures below 90 °C

Precise micropatterning of silver nanoparticles on plastic substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ammosova, Lena; Jiang, Yu; Suvanto, Mika; Pakkanen, Tapani A.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Silver ink has been deposited on plastic substrate and silver nanoparticles have been produced. • 3D control allows both ink superimposing and deposition on complicated surfaces. • Polyol method ensures the formation of metallic mircopatterns with high uniformity. • Substrate wettability, ink volume, and sintering temperature influences deposited patterns. - Abstract: Conventional fabrication methods to obtain metal patterns on polymer substrates are restricted by high operating temperature and complex preparation steps. The present study demonstrates a simple yet versatile method for preparation of silver nanoparticle micropatterns on polymer substrates with various surface geometry. With the microworking robot technique, we were able not only to directly structure the surface, but also precisely deposit silver nanoparticle ink on the desired surface location with the minimum usage of ink material. The prepared silver nanoparticle ink, containing silver cations and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a reducing agent, yields silver nanoparticle micropatterns on plastic substrates at low sintering temperature without any contamination. The influence of the ink behaviour was studied, such as substrate wettability, ink volume, and sintering temperature. The ultraviolet visible (UV–vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) measurements revealed the formation of micropatterns with uniformly distributed silver nanoparticles. The prepared patterns are expected to have a broad range of applications in optics, medicine, and sensor devices owing to the unique properties of silver. Furthermore, the deposition of a chemical compound, which is different from the substrate material, not only adds a fourth dimension to the prestructured three-dimensional (3D) surfaces, but also opens new application areas to the conventional surface structures.

Precise micropatterning of silver nanoparticles on plastic substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ammosova, Lena; Jiang, Yu; Suvanto, Mika; Pakkanen, Tapani A., E-mail: tapani.pakkanen@uef.fi

2017-04-15

Highlights: • Silver ink has been deposited on plastic substrate and silver nanoparticles have been produced. • 3D control allows both ink superimposing and deposition on complicated surfaces. • Polyol method ensures the formation of metallic mircopatterns with high uniformity. • Substrate wettability, ink volume, and sintering temperature influences deposited patterns. - Abstract: Conventional fabrication methods to obtain metal patterns on polymer substrates are restricted by high operating temperature and complex preparation steps. The present study demonstrates a simple yet versatile method for preparation of silver nanoparticle micropatterns on polymer substrates with various surface geometry. With the microworking robot technique, we were able not only to directly structure the surface, but also precisely deposit silver nanoparticle ink on the desired surface location with the minimum usage of ink material. The prepared silver nanoparticle ink, containing silver cations and polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a reducing agent, yields silver nanoparticle micropatterns on plastic substrates at low sintering temperature without any contamination. The influence of the ink behaviour was studied, such as substrate wettability, ink volume, and sintering temperature. The ultraviolet visible (UV–vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) measurements revealed the formation of micropatterns with uniformly distributed silver nanoparticles. The prepared patterns are expected to have a broad range of applications in optics, medicine, and sensor devices owing to the unique properties of silver. Furthermore, the deposition of a chemical compound, which is different from the substrate material, not only adds a fourth dimension to the prestructured three-dimensional (3D) surfaces, but also opens new application areas to the conventional surface structures.

Nano- and Micro-Scale Oxidative Patterning of Titanium Implant Surfaces for Improved Surface Wettability.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, In-hye; Son, Jun Sik; Choi, Seok Hwa; Kim, Kyo-han; Kwon, Tae-yub

2016-02-01

A simple and scalable surface modification treatment is demonstrated, in which nano- and microscale features are introduced into the surface of titanium (Ti) substrates by means of a novel and eco-friendly oxidative aqueous solution composed of hydrogen peroxide (H202) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). By immersing mirror-polished Ti discs in an aqueous mixture of 30 wt% H2O2/5 wt% NaHCO3 at 23 +/- 3 degrees C for 4 h, it was confirmed that this mixture is capable of generating microscale topographies on Ti surfaces. It also simultaneously formed nanochannels that were regularly arranged in a comb-like pattern on the Ti surface, thus forming a hierarchical surface structure. Further, these nano/micro-textured Ti surfaces showed great surface roughness and excellent wettability when compared with control Ti surfaces. This study demonstrates that a H2O2/NaHCO3 mixture can be effectively utilized to create reproducible nano/microscale topographies on Ti implant surfaces, thus providing an economical new oxidative solution that may be used effectively and safely as a Ti surface modification treatment.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection using plasmonic bimetallic nanogap substrate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wong, Chi Lok; Dinish, U. S.; Buddharaju, Kavitha Devi

2014-01-01

In this paper, we present surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based volatile organic compounds (VOCs) detection with bimetallic nanogap structure substrate. Deep UV photolithography at the wavelength of 250 nm is used to pattern circular shape nanostructures. The nanogap between adjacent cir......-based VOCs detection platform for point-of-care breath analysis, homeland security, chemical sensing and environmental monitoring....

The Nanofabrication and Application of Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xian Zhang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS was discovered in 1974 and impacted Raman spectroscopy and surface science. Although SERS has not been developed to be an applicable detection tool so far, nanotechnology has promoted its development in recent decades. The traditional SERS substrates, such as silver electrode, metal island film, and silver colloid, cannot be applied because of their enhancement factor or stability, but newly developed substrates, such as electrochemical deposition surface, Ag porous film, and surface-confined colloids, have better sensitivity and stability. Surface enhanced Raman scattering is applied in other fields such as detection of chemical pollutant, biomolecules, DNA, bacteria, and so forth. In this paper, the development of nanofabrication and application of surface-enhanced Ramans scattering substrate are discussed.

Thin polymer films on chemically patterned, corrugated substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geoghegan, Mark; Wang Chun; Rehse, Nicolaus; Magerle, Robert; Krausch, Georg

2005-01-01

We study the effect of a chemical pattern on the wetting and dewetting behaviour of thin polystyrene (PS) films on regularly corrugated silicon substrates. Our results reveal that the film preparation, annealing method, and confinement play a critical role in the final film structure. On evaporating gold on both sides of the facets (such that it covered the crests of the facets, and not the troughs), we observed dewetting, which proceeded to the gold, demonstrating an enthalpic effect contrary to the outcome previously observed when gold was only evaporated on one side of the facet. We also coated the substrate with octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS); this led to a gold and OTS striped structure. PS films several nanometres thick dewet such substrates, with a preferential direction for dewetting in the direction of the stripes forming droplets of a considerably larger size than the stripes

Micro/nano engineering on stainless steel substrates to produce superhydrophobic surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beckford, Samuel; Zou Min, E-mail: mzou@uark.edu

2011-12-30

Creating micro-/nano-scale topography on material surfaces to change their wetting properties has been a subject of much interest in recent years. Wenzel in 1936 and Cassie and Baxter in 1944 proposed that by microscopically increasing the surface roughness of a substrate, it is possible to increase its hydrophobicity. This paper reports the fabrication of micro-textured surfaces and nano-textured surfaces, and the combination of both on stainless steel substrates by sandblasting, thermal evaporation of aluminum, and aluminum-induced crystallization (AIC) of amorphous silicon (a-Si). Meanwhile, fluorinated carbon films were used to change the chemical composition of the surfaces to render the surfaces more hydrophobic. These surface modifications were investigated to create superhydrophobic surfaces on stainless steel substrates. The topography resulting from these surface modifications was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and surface profilometry. The wetting properties of these surfaces were characterized by water contact angle measurement. The results of this study show that superhydrophobic surfaces can be produced by either micro-scale surface texturing or nano-scale surface texturing, or the combination of both, after fluorinated carbon film deposition.

Complex Pattern Formation from Current-Driven Dynamics of Single-Layer Epitaxial Islands on Crystalline Conducting Substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Ashish; Dasgupta, Dwaipayan; Maroudas, Dimitrios

We report a systematic study of complex pattern formation resulting from the driven dynamics of single-layer homoepitaxial islands on face-centered cubic (FCC) crystalline conducting substrate surfaces under the action of an externally applied electric field. The analysis is based on an experimentally validated nonlinear model of mass transport via island edge atomic diffusion, which also accounts for edge diffusional anisotropy. We analyze the morphological stability and simulate the field-driven evolution of rounded islands for an electric field oriented along the fast diffusion direction. For larger than critical island sizes on {110} and {100} FCC substrates, we show that multiple necking instabilities generate complex island patterns, including void-containing islands, mediated by sequences of breakup and coalescence events and distributed symmetrically with respect to the electric field direction. We analyze the dependence of the formed patterns on the original island size and on the duration of application of the external field. Starting from a single large rounded island, we characterize the evolution of the number of daughter islands and their average size and uniformity. The analysis reveals that the pattern formation kinetics follows a universal scaling relation. Division of Materials Sciences & Engineering, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy (Award No.: DE-FG02-07ER46407).

Surface patterning for brittle amorphous material using nanoindenter-based mechanochemical nanofabrication

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Jeong Woo; Choi, Soo Chang; Kim, Yong Woo [Department of Nano Fusion Technology, Pusan National University, Miryang 627-706 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Chae Moon [Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Busan 618-721 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Deug Woo [Department of Nano System and Process Engineering, Pusan National University, Miryang 627-706 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: dwoolee@pusan.ac.kr

2008-02-27

This paper demonstrates a micro/nanoscale surface patterning technology for brittle material using mechanical and chemical processes. Fused silica was scratched with a Berkovich tip under various normal loads from several mN to several tens of mN with various tip rotations. The scratched substrate was then chemically etched in hydrofluoric solution to evaluate the chemical properties of the different deformed layers produced under various mechanical scratching conditions. Our results showed that either protruding or depressed patterns could be generated on the scratched surface after chemical etching by controlling the tip rotation, the normal load and the etching condition. In addition, the mask effect of amorphous material after mechanical scratching was controlled by conventional mechanical machining conditions such as contact area, chip formation, plastic flow and material removal.

Improved surface bioactivity of stainless steel substrates using osteocalcin mimetic peptide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosseini, Samaneh; Naderi-Manesh, Hossein; Vali, Hojatollah; Faghihi, Shahab

2014-01-01

Although stainless steel has a good biocompatibility for most clinical cases, the higher tissue response (bone bonding property) is required in orthopedic field. In this study, to improve bone-bonding ability of stainless steel substrates, a specific sequence of osteocalcin mimetic peptide is used as bioactive coating material to biochemically modify the surface of metallic samples. This sequence consists of thirteen amino acids present in the first helix of osteocalcin is synthesized in amidic form and physically adsorbed on the surface of 316LS (316 low carbon surgical grade) stainless steel substrates. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to characterize the surface of peptide coated and uncoated substrates. The bioactivity and bone bonding ability of coated and uncoated substrates are assessed by level of hydroxyapatite formation, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive x-ray (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The pre-osteoblast cell attachment and proliferation are also evaluated by MTT assay. The results show that the surface of coated sample is homogenously covered by the peptide and display a rougher surface relative to uncoated sample. TEM images reveal the formation of plate-like hydroxyapatite crystals in the presence of the peptide and an amorphous calcium phosphate phase without the peptide. Pre-osteoblast cells proliferation is significantly higher on the surface of peptide coated substrate, while cell attachment remains unaffected by the peptide coatings. Pre-osteoblast cells also demonstrate a higher degree of spreading on the surface of coated sample. It is believed that osteocalcin mimetic peptide improve surface bioactivity and promote hydroxyapatite crystal formation may lead to increased mineralization and bone formation on the surface of metallic biomedical devices. - Graphical abstract: A peptide sequence located in the first helix of OC is selected based on its

Improved surface bioactivity of stainless steel substrates using osteocalcin mimetic peptide

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hosseini, Samaneh [Department of Nanobiotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran 14965/161 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Naderi-Manesh, Hossein, E-mail: naderman@modares.ac.ir [Department of Nanobiotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Vali, Hojatollah [Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, 3640 University Street, Montréal, QC H3A 0C7 (Canada); Faghihi, Shahab, E-mail: sfaghihi@nigeb.ac.ir [Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Division, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran 14965/161 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2014-02-14

Although stainless steel has a good biocompatibility for most clinical cases, the higher tissue response (bone bonding property) is required in orthopedic field. In this study, to improve bone-bonding ability of stainless steel substrates, a specific sequence of osteocalcin mimetic peptide is used as bioactive coating material to biochemically modify the surface of metallic samples. This sequence consists of thirteen amino acids present in the first helix of osteocalcin is synthesized in amidic form and physically adsorbed on the surface of 316LS (316 low carbon surgical grade) stainless steel substrates. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to characterize the surface of peptide coated and uncoated substrates. The bioactivity and bone bonding ability of coated and uncoated substrates are assessed by level of hydroxyapatite formation, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive x-ray (EDS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The pre-osteoblast cell attachment and proliferation are also evaluated by MTT assay. The results show that the surface of coated sample is homogenously covered by the peptide and display a rougher surface relative to uncoated sample. TEM images reveal the formation of plate-like hydroxyapatite crystals in the presence of the peptide and an amorphous calcium phosphate phase without the peptide. Pre-osteoblast cells proliferation is significantly higher on the surface of peptide coated substrate, while cell attachment remains unaffected by the peptide coatings. Pre-osteoblast cells also demonstrate a higher degree of spreading on the surface of coated sample. It is believed that osteocalcin mimetic peptide improve surface bioactivity and promote hydroxyapatite crystal formation may lead to increased mineralization and bone formation on the surface of metallic biomedical devices. - Graphical abstract: A peptide sequence located in the first helix of OC is selected based on its

Thermodiffusion as a means to manipulate liquid film dynamics on chemically patterned surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalpathy, Sreeram K; Shreyes, Amrita Ravi

2017-06-07

The model problem examined here is the stability of a thin liquid film consisting of two miscible components, resting on a chemically patterned solid substrate and heated from below. In addition to surface tension gradients, the temperature variations also induce gradients in the concentration of the film by virtue of thermodiffusion/Soret effects. We study the stability and dewetting behaviour due to the coupled interplay between thermal gradients, Soret effects, long-range van der Waals forces, and wettability gradient-driven flows. Linear stability analysis is first employed to predict growth rates and the critical Marangoni number for chemically homogeneous surfaces. Then, nonlinear simulations are performed to unravel the interfacial dynamics and possible locations of the film rupture on chemically patterned substrates. Results suggest that appropriate tuning of the Soret parameter and its direction, in conjunction with either heating or cooling, can help manipulate the location and time scales of the film rupture. The Soret effect can either potentially aid or oppose film instability depending on whether the thermal and solutal contributions to flow are cooperative or opposed to each other.

Mechanics of nanowire/nanotube in-surface buckling on elastomeric substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiao, J; Huang, Y [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Ryu, S Y; Paik, U [Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, 17 Hangdang-dong, Sungdong-gu, Seoul 133-791 (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, K-C [Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Rogers, J A, E-mail: y-huang@northwestern.edu, E-mail: jrogers@uiuc.edu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Frederick-Seitz Materials Research Laboratory and Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801 (United States)

2010-02-26

A continuum mechanics theory is established for the in-surface buckling of one-dimensional nanomaterials on compliant substrates, such as silicon nanowires on elastomeric substrates observed in experiments. Simple analytical expressions are obtained for the buckling wavelength, amplitude and critical buckling strain in terms of the bending and tension stiffness of the nanomaterial and the substrate elastic properties. The analysis is applied to silicon nanowires, single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanotube bundles. For silicon nanowires, the measured buckling wavelength gives Young's modulus to be 140 GPa, which agrees well with the prior experimental studies. It is shown that the energy for in-surface buckling is lower than that for normal (out-of-surface) buckling, and is therefore energetically favorable.

Mechanics of nanowire/nanotube in-surface buckling on elastomeric substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao, J; Huang, Y; Ryu, S Y; Paik, U; Hwang, K-C; Rogers, J A

2010-01-01

A continuum mechanics theory is established for the in-surface buckling of one-dimensional nanomaterials on compliant substrates, such as silicon nanowires on elastomeric substrates observed in experiments. Simple analytical expressions are obtained for the buckling wavelength, amplitude and critical buckling strain in terms of the bending and tension stiffness of the nanomaterial and the substrate elastic properties. The analysis is applied to silicon nanowires, single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanotube bundles. For silicon nanowires, the measured buckling wavelength gives Young's modulus to be 140 GPa, which agrees well with the prior experimental studies. It is shown that the energy for in-surface buckling is lower than that for normal (out-of-surface) buckling, and is therefore energetically favorable.

Nanostructured surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates for explosives detection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmidt, Michael Stenbaek; Olsen, Jesper Kenneth; Boisen, Anja

2010-01-01

Here we present a method for trace detection of explosives in the gas phase using novel surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy substrates. Novel substrates that produce an exceptionally large enhancement of the Raman effect were used to amplify the Raman signal of explosives...

Polytetrafluorethylene-Au as a substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siegel Jakub

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract This study deals with preparation of substrates suitable for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS applications by sputtering deposition of gold layer on the polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE foil. Time of sputtering was investigated with respect to the surface properties. The ability of PTFE-Au substrates to enhance Raman signals was investigated by immobilization of biphenyl-4,4'-dithiol (BFD from the solutions with various concentrations. BFD was also used for preparation of sandwich structures with Au or Ag nanoparticles by two different procedures. Results showed that PTFE can be used for fabrication of SERS active substrate with easy handle properties at low cost. This substrate was sufficient for the measurement of SERS spectrum of BFD even at 10-8 mol/l concentration.

Nitride superluminescent diodes with broadened emission spectrum fabricated using laterally patterned substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Kafar, A; Stanczyk, S; Sarzynski, M; Grzanka, S; Goss, J; Targowski, G; Nowakowska-Siwinska, A; Suski, T; Perlin, P

2016-05-02

We demonstrate InGaN/GaN superluminescent diodes with broadened emission spectra fabricated on surface-shaped bulk GaN (0001) substrates. The patterning changes the local vicinal angle linearly along the device waveguide, which results in an indium incorporation profile in InGaN quantum wells. The structure was investigated by microphotoluminescence mapping, showing a shift of central emission wavelength from 413 nm to 430 nm. Spectral full width at half maximum of processed superluminescent diodes is equal to 6.1 nm, while the reference chips show 3.4 nm. This approach may open the path for using nitride devices in applications requiring broad emission spectrum and high beam quality, such as optical coherence tomography.

Comparison of structural re-organisations observed on pre-patterned vicinal Si(1 1 1) and Si(1 0 0) surfaces during heat treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraus, A.; Neddermeyer, H.; Wulfhekel, W.; Sander, D.; Maroutian, T.; Dulot, F.; Martinez-Gil, A.; Hanbuecken, M.

2004-01-01

The creation of distinct, periodically structured vicinal Si(1 1 1) and (1 0 0) substrates has been studied using scanning tunnelling microscopy at various temperatures. The vicinal Si(1 1 1) and (1 0 0) surfaces transform under heat treatment in a self-organised way into flat and stepped regions. Optical and electron beam lithography is used to produce a regular hole pattern on the surfaces, which interferes with the temperature-driven morphological changes. The step motions are strongly influenced by this pre-patterning. Pre-patterned Si(1 1 1) surfaces transform into regular one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) morphologies, which consist of terraces and arrangements of step bunches and facets. On pre-patterned Si(1 0 0) substrates different re-organisations were observed where checkerboard-like 2D structures are obtained

Electron beam irradiating process for rendering rough or topographically irregular surface substrates smooth; and coated substrates produced thereby

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nablo, S.V.

1979-01-01

This disclosure involves a novel process for instantaneous electron-beam curing of very thin low viscosity, solventless coating upon rough, irregular or textured surfaces of a substrate such as paper or the like. Through rather critical timing and energy adjustment procedures, the coating firmly adheres to the surface before the coating can conform to the roughness or texture contour or substantially penetrate into the surface. By this method a solidified very smooth outer surface is provided for the substrate that is particularly used for metalization and other finished layerings. (author)

A liquid aluminum corrosion resistance surface on steel substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Deqing; Shi Ziyuan; Zou Longjiang

2003-01-01

The process of hot dipping pure aluminum on a steel substrate followed by oxidation was studied to form a surface layer of aluminum oxide resistant to the corrosion of aluminum melt. The thickness of the pure aluminum layer on the steel substrate is reduced with the increase in temperature and time in initial aluminizing, and the thickness of the aluminum layer does not increase with time at given temperature when identical temperature and complete wetting occur between liquid aluminum and the substrate surface. The thickness of the Fe-Al intermetallic layer on the steel base is increased with increasing bath temperature and time. Based on the experimental data and the mathematics model developed by the study, a maximum exists in the thickness of the Fe-Al intermetallic at certain dipping temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis reveals that the top portion of the steel substrate is composed of a thin layer of α-Al 2 O 3 , followed by a thinner layer of FeAl 3 , and then a much thicker one of Fe 2 Al 5 on the steel base side. In addition, there is a carbon enrichment zone in diffusion front. The aluminum oxide surface formed on the steel substrate is in perfect condition after corrosion test in liquid aluminum at 750 deg. C for 240 h, showing extremely good resistance to aluminum melt corrosion

One-step synthesis and patterning of aligned polymer nanowires on a substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Zhong L [Marietta, GA; Wang, Xudong [Atlanta, GA; Morber, Jenny R [Atlanta, GA; Liu, Jin [Danbury, CT

2011-11-08

In a method of making a polymer structure on a substrate a layer of a first polymer, having a horizontal top surface, is applied to a surface of the substrate. An area of the top surface of the polymer is manipulated to create an uneven feature that is plasma etched to remove a first portion from the layer of the first polymer thereby leaving the polymer structure extending therefrom. A light emitting structure includes a conductive substrate from which an elongated nanostructure of a first polymer extends. A second polymer coating is disposed about the nanostructure and includes a second polymer, which includes a material such that a band gap exists between the second polymer coating and the elongated nanostructure. A conductive material coats the second polymer coating. The light emitting structure emits light when a voltage is applied between the conductive substrate and the conductive coating.

On the limits of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy tuning by a ripple surface pattern

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arranz, Miguel A. [Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Avda. Camilo J. Cela 10, 13071 Ciudad Real (Spain); Colino, Jose M., E-mail: josemiguel.colino@uclm.es [Instituto de Nanociencia, Nanotecnología y Materiales Moleculares, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus de la Fábrica de Armas, 45071 Toledo (Spain); Palomares, Francisco J. [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, c/ Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 3, 28049 Madrid (Spain)

2014-05-14

Ion beam patterning of a nanoscale ripple surface has emerged as a versatile method of imprinting uniaxial magnetic anisotropy (UMA) on a desired in-plane direction in magnetic films. In the case of ripple patterned thick films, dipolar interactions around the top and/or bottom interfaces are generally assumed to drive this effect following Schlömann's calculations for demagnetizing fields of an ideally sinusoidal surface [E. Schlömann, J. Appl. Phys. 41, 1617 (1970)]. We have explored the validity of his predictions and the limits of ion beam sputtering to induce UMA in a ferromagnetic system where other relevant sources of magnetic anisotropy are neglected: ripple films not displaying any evidence of volume uniaxial anisotropy and where magnetocrystalline contributions average out in a fine grain polycrystal structure. To this purpose, the surface of 100 nm cobalt films grown on flat substrates has been irradiated at fixed ion energy, fixed ion fluency but different ion densities to make the ripple pattern at the top surface with wavelength Λ and selected, large amplitudes (ω) up to 20 nm so that stray dipolar fields are enhanced, while the residual film thickness t = 35–50 nm is sufficiently large to preserve the continuous morphology in most cases. The film-substrate interface has been studied with X-ray photoemission spectroscopy depth profiles and is found that there is a graded silicon-rich cobalt silicide, presumably formed during the film growth. This graded interface is of uncertain small thickness but the range of compositions clearly makes it a magnetically dead layer. On the other hand, the ripple surface rules both the magnetic coercivity and the uniaxial anisotropy as these are found to correlate with the pattern dimensions. Remarkably, the saturation fields in the hard axis of uniaxial continuous films are measured up to values as high as 0.80 kG and obey a linear dependence on the parameter ω{sup 2}/Λ/t in quantitative

Plasma surface oxidation of 316L stainless steel for improving adhesion strength of silicone rubber coating to metal substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Latifi, Afrooz, E-mail: afroozlatifi@yahoo.com [Department of Biomaterials, Biomedical Engineering Faculty, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Imani, Mohammad [Novel Drug Delivery Systems Dept., Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute, P.O. Box 14965/115, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Khorasani, Mohammad Taghi [Biomaterials Dept., Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute, P.O. Box 14965/159, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Daliri Joupari, Morteza [Animal and Marine Biotechnology Dept., National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, P.O. Box 14965/161, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2014-11-30

Highlights: • Stainless steel 316L was surface modified by plasma surface oxidation (PSO) and silicone rubber (SR) coating. • On the PSO substrates, concentration of oxide species was increased ca. 2.5 times comparing to non-PSO substrates. • The surface wettability was improved to 12.5°, in terms of water contact angle, after PSO. • Adhesion strength of SR coating on the PSO substrates was improved by more than two times comparing to non-PSO ones. • After pull-off test, the fractured area patterns for SR coating were dependent on the type of surface modifications received. - Abstract: Stainless steel 316L is one of the most widely used materials for fabricating of biomedical devices hence, improving its surface properties is still of great interest and challenging in biomaterial sciences. Plasma oxidation, in comparison to the conventional chemical or mechanical methods, is one of the most efficient methods recently used for surface treatment of biomaterials. Here, stainless steel specimens were surface oxidized by radio-frequency plasma irradiation operating at 34 MHz under pure oxygen atmosphere. Surface chemical composition of the samples was significantly changed after plasma oxidation by appearance of the chromium and iron oxides on the plasma-oxidized surface. A wettable surface, possessing high surface energy (83.19 mN m{sup −1}), was observed after plasma oxidation. Upon completion of the surface modification process, silicone rubber was spray coated on the plasma-treated stainless steel surface. Morphology of the silicone rubber coating was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A uniform coating was formed on the oxidized surface with no delamination at polymer–metal interface. Pull-off tests showed the lowest adhesion strength of coating to substrate (0.12 MPa) for untreated specimens and the highest (0.89 MPa) for plasma-oxidized ones.

Direct writing and electro-mechanical characterization of Ag micro-patterns on polymer substrates for flexible electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres Arango, Maria A.; Cokeley, Anna M.; Beard, Jared J.; Sierros, Konstantinos A.

2015-01-01

There is currently a great interest in developing flexible electrodes. Such components are used in most electronic devices from displays to solar cells to flexible sensors. To date most of them are fabricated using expensive vacuum techniques, and are based on transparent conducting oxides. These oxides are not entirely compatible with flexible substrates under the application of mechanical stresses, due to their brittle nature. Therefore, there is a need to explore novel low-cost, large-area fabrication methods to deposit alternative conducting materials with enhanced electro-mechanical performance. This work focuses on Ag patterns fabricated at low temperatures (below 150 °C) on flexible polyethylene naphthalate utilizing a robotic printing approach. Such lithography-free method minimizes material waste by printing exact amounts of inks on digitally predefined locations. Additionally, it allows a broad feature size range, from a few μm to a few mm, and a variety of ink viscosities for better pattern control. We investigate the synthesis and direct writing of Ag particle-based inks, patterned-on-flex as lines and grids in the μm scale. We report on a high-yield ink synthesis method (~ 61.6%) with controlled particle size. It is found that the electrical resistivity (1.75 ∗ 10"−"4 Ω cm) of the patterns is in the same range with similar particle-based conductive components. The correlation between annealing temperature, microstructural evolution, and electrical performance is established. Also, the optical transmittance of the patterns can be controlled to meet specific application requirements by regulating the substrate surface area covered. Finally, the mechanical behavior under both monotonic and cyclic conditions shows a superior performance compared to brittle counterparts and underlines the potential of such metallic micro-patterns to be utilized in a wide range of flexible electronic applications. It is believed that direct writing of Ag patterns on

Direct writing and electro-mechanical characterization of Ag micro-patterns on polymer substrates for flexible electronics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torres Arango, Maria A.; Cokeley, Anna M.; Beard, Jared J.; Sierros, Konstantinos A., E-mail: kostas.sierros@mail.wvu.edu

2015-12-01

There is currently a great interest in developing flexible electrodes. Such components are used in most electronic devices from displays to solar cells to flexible sensors. To date most of them are fabricated using expensive vacuum techniques, and are based on transparent conducting oxides. These oxides are not entirely compatible with flexible substrates under the application of mechanical stresses, due to their brittle nature. Therefore, there is a need to explore novel low-cost, large-area fabrication methods to deposit alternative conducting materials with enhanced electro-mechanical performance. This work focuses on Ag patterns fabricated at low temperatures (below 150 °C) on flexible polyethylene naphthalate utilizing a robotic printing approach. Such lithography-free method minimizes material waste by printing exact amounts of inks on digitally predefined locations. Additionally, it allows a broad feature size range, from a few μm to a few mm, and a variety of ink viscosities for better pattern control. We investigate the synthesis and direct writing of Ag particle-based inks, patterned-on-flex as lines and grids in the μm scale. We report on a high-yield ink synthesis method (~ 61.6%) with controlled particle size. It is found that the electrical resistivity (1.75 ∗ 10{sup −4} Ω cm) of the patterns is in the same range with similar particle-based conductive components. The correlation between annealing temperature, microstructural evolution, and electrical performance is established. Also, the optical transmittance of the patterns can be controlled to meet specific application requirements by regulating the substrate surface area covered. Finally, the mechanical behavior under both monotonic and cyclic conditions shows a superior performance compared to brittle counterparts and underlines the potential of such metallic micro-patterns to be utilized in a wide range of flexible electronic applications. It is believed that direct writing of Ag patterns

Effect of substrate surface on electromigration-induced sliding at hetero-interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Praveen; Dutta, Indranath

2013-01-01

Electromigration (EM)-induced interfacial sliding between a metal film and Si substrate occurs when (i) only few grains exist across the width of the film and (ii) diffusivity through the interfacial region is significantly greater than diffusivity through the film. Here, the effect of the substrate surface layer on the kinetics of EM-induced interfacial sliding is assessed using Si substrates coated with various thin film interlayers. The kinetics of interfacial sliding, and therefore the EM-driven mass flow rate, strongly depends on the type of the interlayer (and hence the substrate surface composition), such that strongly bonded interfaces with slower interfacial diffusivity produce slower sliding. (paper)

Modification of Bi:YIG film properties by substrate surface ion pre-treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaposhnikov, A.N.; Prokopov, A.R.; Karavainikov, A.V.; Berzhansky, V.N.; Mikhailova, T.V.; Kotov, V.A.; Balabanov, D.E.; Sharay, I.V.; Salyuk, O.Y.; Vasiliev, M.; Golub, V.O.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Effects of substrates ion beam treatment on magnetoptical properties Bi:YIG films. • Substrate surface damage results in sign inversion of the magneto-optical effects. • Atomically smooth films growth takes place on low energy ions treated substrates. • High energy ions treatment results in selective nucleation mechanism of the growth. - Abstract: The effect of a controlled ion beam pre-treatment of (1 1 1)-oriented Gd 3 Ga 5 O 12 substrates on the magneto-optical properties and surface morphology of the ultrathin bismuth-substituted yttrium–iron garnet films with a composition Bi 2.8 Y 0.2 Fe 5 O 12 was studied. It has been shown that the observed sign inversion of magneto-optical effects (Faraday rotation and magnetic circular dichroism) observed in films that were deposited on the GGG substrate pre-treated by 1 keV and 4 keV Ar + ion beams is a result of the substrate surface amorphization caused by the ion bombardment

Surface Modification of Polymer Substrates for Biomedical Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oldřich Neděla

2017-09-01

Full Text Available While polymers are widely utilized materials in the biomedical industry, they are rarely used in an unmodified state. Some kind of a surface treatment is often necessary to achieve properties suitable for specific applications. There are multiple methods of surface treatment, each with their own pros and cons, such as plasma and laser treatment, UV lamp modification, etching, grafting, metallization, ion sputtering and others. An appropriate treatment can change the physico-chemical properties of the surface of a polymer in a way that makes it attractive for a variety of biological compounds, or, on the contrary, makes the polymer exhibit antibacterial or cytotoxic properties, thus making the polymer usable in a variety of biomedical applications. This review examines four popular methods of polymer surface modification: laser treatment, ion implantation, plasma treatment and nanoparticle grafting. Surface treatment-induced changes of the physico-chemical properties, morphology, chemical composition and biocompatibility of a variety of polymer substrates are studied. Relevant biological methods are used to determine the influence of various surface treatments and grafting processes on the biocompatibility of the new surfaces—mammalian cell adhesion and proliferation is studied as well as other potential applications of the surface-treated polymer substrates in the biomedical industry.

Improved patterning of ITO coated with gold masking layer on glass substrate using nanosecond fiber laser and etching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, Nguyen Ngoc; Hung, Duong Thanh; Anh, Vo Tran; BongChul, Kang; HyunChul, Kim

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A new patterning method for ITO thin film is introduced. • Gold thin film is important in decrease spikes formed in ITO patterning process. • The laser pulse width occupies a significant effect the patterning surface quality. • Etching process is the effective method to remove the spikes at rims of pattern. • A considerable improvement over patterning quality is obtained by proposed method. - Abstract: In this paper, an indium–tin oxide (ITO) thin-film patterning method for higher pattern quality and productivity compared to the short-pulsed laser direct writing method is presented. We sputtered a thin ITO layer on a glass substrate, and then, plated a thin gold layer onto the ITO layer. The combined structure of the three layers (glass–ITO–gold) was patterned using laser-induced plasma generated by an ytterbium pulsed fiber laser (λ = 1064 nm). The results showed that the process parameters of 50 mm/s in scanning speed, 14 ns pulse duration, and a repetition rate of 7.5 kHz represented optimum conditions for the fabrication of ITO channels. Under these conditions, a channel 23.4 μm wide and 20 nm deep was obtained. However, built-up spikes (∼15 nm in height) resulted in a decrease in channel quality, and consequently, short circuit occurred at some patterned positions. These built-up spikes were completely removed by dipping the ITO layer into an etchant (18 wt.% HCl). A gold masking layer on the ITO surface was found to increase the channel surface quality without any decrease in ITO thickness. Moreover, the effects of repetition rate, scanning speed, and etching characteristics on surface quality were investigated

Improved patterning of ITO coated with gold masking layer on glass substrate using nanosecond fiber laser and etching

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tan, Nguyen Ngoc; Hung, Duong Thanh; Anh, Vo Tran [High Safety Vehicle Core Technology Research Center, Department of Mechanical & Automotive Engineering, Inje University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of); BongChul, Kang, E-mail: kbc@kumoh.ac.kr [Department of Inteligent Mechanical Engineering, Kumoh National Institute of Technology, Gumi (Korea, Republic of); HyunChul, Kim, E-mail: mechkhc@inje.ac.kr [High Safety Vehicle Core Technology Research Center, Department of Mechanical & Automotive Engineering, Inje University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-01

Highlights: • A new patterning method for ITO thin film is introduced. • Gold thin film is important in decrease spikes formed in ITO patterning process. • The laser pulse width occupies a significant effect the patterning surface quality. • Etching process is the effective method to remove the spikes at rims of pattern. • A considerable improvement over patterning quality is obtained by proposed method. - Abstract: In this paper, an indium–tin oxide (ITO) thin-film patterning method for higher pattern quality and productivity compared to the short-pulsed laser direct writing method is presented. We sputtered a thin ITO layer on a glass substrate, and then, plated a thin gold layer onto the ITO layer. The combined structure of the three layers (glass–ITO–gold) was patterned using laser-induced plasma generated by an ytterbium pulsed fiber laser (λ = 1064 nm). The results showed that the process parameters of 50 mm/s in scanning speed, 14 ns pulse duration, and a repetition rate of 7.5 kHz represented optimum conditions for the fabrication of ITO channels. Under these conditions, a channel 23.4 μm wide and 20 nm deep was obtained. However, built-up spikes (∼15 nm in height) resulted in a decrease in channel quality, and consequently, short circuit occurred at some patterned positions. These built-up spikes were completely removed by dipping the ITO layer into an etchant (18 wt.% HCl). A gold masking layer on the ITO surface was found to increase the channel surface quality without any decrease in ITO thickness. Moreover, the effects of repetition rate, scanning speed, and etching characteristics on surface quality were investigated.

Grafted membranes and substrates having surfaces with switchable superoleophilicity and superoleophobicity and applications thereof

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Lianbin

2013-10-10

Disclosed herein are surface-modified membranes and other surface-modified substrates exhibiting switchable oleophobicity and oleophilicity in aqueous media. These membranes and substrates may be used for variety of applications, including controllable oil/water separation processes, oil spill cleanup, and oil/water purification. Also provided are the making and processing of such surface-modified membranes and other surface-modified substrates.

Grafted membranes and substrates having surfaces with switchable superoleophilicity and superoleophobicity and applications thereof

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Lianbin; Wang, Peng

2013-01-01

Disclosed herein are surface-modified membranes and other surface-modified substrates exhibiting switchable oleophobicity and oleophilicity in aqueous media. These membranes and substrates may be used for variety of applications, including controllable oil/water separation processes, oil spill cleanup, and oil/water purification. Also provided are the making and processing of such surface-modified membranes and other surface-modified substrates.

Origin of magnetic switching field distribution in bit patterned media based on pre-patterned substrates

OpenAIRE

Pfau , B; Günther , C.M.; Guehrs , E; Hauet , Thomas; Yang , H; Vinh , L.; Xu , X; Yaney , D; Rick , R; Eisebitt , S; Hellwig , O

2011-01-01

International audience; Using a combination of synchrotron radiation based magnetic imaging and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy we reveal systematic correlations between the magnetic switching field and the internal nanoscale structure of individual islands in bit patterned media fabricated by Co/Pd-multilayer deposition onto pre-patterned substrates. We find that misaligned grains at the island periphery are a common feature independent of the island switching field, while i...

Template-controlled mineralization: Determining film granularity and structure by surface functionality patterns

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nina J. Blumenstein

2015-08-01

Full Text Available We present a promising first example towards controlling the properties of a self-assembling mineral film by means of the functionality and polarity of a substrate template. In the presented case, a zinc oxide film is deposited by chemical bath deposition on a nearly topography-free template structure composed of a pattern of two self-assembled monolayers with different chemical functionality. We demonstrate the template-modulated morphological properties of the growing film, as the surface functionality dictates the granularity of the growing film. This, in turn, is a key property influencing other film properties such as conductivity, piezoelectric activity and the mechanical properties. A very pronounced contrast is observed between areas with an underlying fluorinated, low energy template surface, showing a much more (almost two orders of magnitude coarse-grained film with a typical agglomerate size of around 75 nm. In contrast, amino-functionalized surface areas induce the growth of a very smooth, fine-grained surface with a roughness of around 1 nm. The observed influence of the template on the resulting clear contrast in morphology of the growing film could be explained by a contrast in surface adhesion energies and surface diffusion rates of the nanoparticles, which nucleate in solution and subsequently deposit on the functionalized substrate.

Tailored topography control of biopolymer surfaces by ultrafast lasers for cell–substrate studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rusen, L.; Cazan, M.; Mustaciosu, C.; Filipescu, M.; Sandel, S.; Zamfirescu, M.; Dinca, V.; Dinescu, M.

2014-01-01

Nowadays, the culture surfaces used for in vitro testing must be capable of possessing an improved interface for cell interactions and adhesion. For this reason, the materials used need to have an appropriate chemistry and architecture of its surface, resembling to the extracellular matrix. Within this context, in this work we combined the advantages of natural biopolymer characteristics (chitosan) with the flexibility in surface texturing by ultrafast laser for creating functional microstructured surfaces for cell–substrate in vitro studies. A Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser irradiation (λ = 775 nm and 387 nm) was used for tailoring surface morphological characteristics of chitosan based films (i.e. polymer “bubbles”, “fingertips” and “sponge-like” structures). These structures were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The morphology of the structures obtained was correlated with the response of oligodendrocytes cells line. In vitro tests on the patterned surface showed that early cell growth was conditioned by the microtopography and indicate possible uses of the structures in biomedical applications.

Influence of viscoelastic property on laser-generated surface acoustic waves in coating-substrate systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Hongxiang; Zhang Shuyi; Xu Baiqiang

2011-01-01

Taking account of the viscoelasticity of materials, the pulsed laser generation of surface acoustic waves in coating-substrate systems has been investigated quantitatively by using the finite element method. The displacement spectra of the surface acoustic waves have been calculated in frequency domain for different coating-substrate systems, in which the viscoelastic properties of the coatings and substrates are considered separately. Meanwhile, the temporal displacement waveforms have been obtained by applying inverse fast Fourier transforms. The numerical results of the normal surface displacements are presented for different configurations: a single plate, a slow coating on a fast substrate, and a fast coating on a slow substrate. The influences of the viscoelastic properties of the coating and the substrate on the attenuation of the surface acoustic waves have been studied. In addition, the influence of the coating thickness on the attenuation of the surface acoustic waves has been also investigated in detail.

Fabrication of PEDOT-OTS-patterned ITO substrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Herzer, N.; Wienk, M.M.; Schmit, P.; Spoelstra, A.B.; Hendriks, C.E.; Oosterhout, S.D.; Höppener, S.; Schubert, U.S.

2010-01-01

The fabrication of a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) pattern is demonstrated. As template, an n-octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) monolayer self-assembled on indium tin oxide (ITO) was structured by UV–ozone photolithography, resulting in an ITO–OTS patterned surface. The conducting properties

GaAs/Ge crystals grown on Si substrates patterned down to the micron scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taboada, A. G.; Kreiliger, T.; Falub, C. V.; Känel, H. von; Meduňa, M.; Salvalaglio, M.; Miglio, L.; Isa, F.; Barthazy Meier, E.; Müller, E.; Isella, G.

2016-01-01

Monolithic integration of III-V compounds into high density Si integrated circuits is a key technological challenge for the next generation of optoelectronic devices. In this work, we report on the metal organic vapor phase epitaxy growth of strain-free GaAs crystals on Si substrates patterned down to the micron scale. The differences in thermal expansion coefficient and lattice parameter are adapted by a 2-μm-thick intermediate Ge layer grown by low-energy plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The GaAs crystals evolve during growth towards a pyramidal shape, with lateral facets composed of (111) planes and an apex formed by (137) and (001) surfaces. The influence of the anisotropic GaAs growth kinetics on the final morphology is highlighted by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopy measurements. The effect of the Si pattern geometry, substrate orientation, and crystal aspect ratio on the GaAs structural properties was investigated by means of high resolution X-ray diffraction. The thermal strain relaxation process of GaAs crystals with different aspect ratio is discussed within the framework of linear elasticity theory by Finite Element Method simulations based on realistic geometries extracted from cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy images

Surface structures of equilibrium restricted curvature model on two fractal substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Li-Jian; Tang Gang; Zhang Yong-Wei; Han Kui; Xun Zhi-Peng; Xia Hui; Hao Da-Peng; Li Yan

2014-01-01

With the aim to probe the effects of the microscopic details of fractal substrates on the scaling of discrete growth models, the surface structures of the equilibrium restricted curvature (ERC) model on Sierpinski arrowhead and crab substrates are analyzed by means of Monte Carlo simulations. These two fractal substrates have the same fractal dimension d f , but possess different dynamic exponents of random walk z rw . The results show that the surface structure of the ERC model on fractal substrates are related to not only the fractal dimension d f , but also to the microscopic structures of the substrates expressed by the dynamic exponent of random walk z rw . The ERC model growing on the two substrates follows the well-known Family—Vicsek scaling law and satisfies the scaling relations 2α + d f ≍ z ≍ 2z rw . In addition, the values of the scaling exponents are in good agreement with the analytical prediction of the fractional Mullins—Herring equation. (general)

Modification of Bi:YIG film properties by substrate surface ion pre-treatment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shaposhnikov, A.N.; Prokopov, A.R.; Karavainikov, A.V.; Berzhansky, V.N.; Mikhailova, T.V. [Taurida National V.I. Vernadsky University, Vernadsky Avenue, 4, Simferopol, 95007 (Ukraine); Kotov, V.A. [V.A. Kotelnikov Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, RAS, 11 Mohovaya Street, Moscow, 125009 (Russian Federation); Balabanov, D.E. [Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, 141700 (Russian Federation); Sharay, I.V.; Salyuk, O.Y. [Institute of Magnetism, NAS of Ukraine, 03142, Kiev (Ukraine); Vasiliev, M. [Electron Science Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup 6027 (Australia); Golub, V.O., E-mail: v_o_golub@yahoo.com [Institute of Magnetism, NAS of Ukraine, 03142, Kiev (Ukraine)

2014-07-01

Highlights: • Effects of substrates ion beam treatment on magnetoptical properties Bi:YIG films. • Substrate surface damage results in sign inversion of the magneto-optical effects. • Atomically smooth films growth takes place on low energy ions treated substrates. • High energy ions treatment results in selective nucleation mechanism of the growth. - Abstract: The effect of a controlled ion beam pre-treatment of (1 1 1)-oriented Gd{sub 3}Ga{sub 5}O{sub 12} substrates on the magneto-optical properties and surface morphology of the ultrathin bismuth-substituted yttrium–iron garnet films with a composition Bi{sub 2.8}Y{sub 0.2}Fe{sub 5}O{sub 12} was studied. It has been shown that the observed sign inversion of magneto-optical effects (Faraday rotation and magnetic circular dichroism) observed in films that were deposited on the GGG substrate pre-treated by 1 keV and 4 keV Ar{sup +} ion beams is a result of the substrate surface amorphization caused by the ion bombardment.

Relationships between substrate, surface characteristics, and vegetation in an initial ecosystem

Science.gov (United States)

Biber, P.; Seifert, S.; Zaplata, M. K.; Schaaf, W.; Pretzsch, H.; Fischer, A.

2013-12-01

We investigated surface and vegetation dynamics in the artificial initial ecosystem "Chicken Creek" (Lusatia, Germany) in the years 2006-2011 across a wide spectrum of empirical data. We scrutinized three overarching hypotheses concerning (1) the relations between initial geomorphological and substrate characteristics with surface structure and terrain properties, (2) the effects of the latter on the occurrence of grouped plant species, and (3) vegetation density effects on terrain surface change. Our data comprise and conflate annual vegetation monitoring results, biennial terrestrial laser scans (starting in 2008), annual groundwater levels, and initially measured soil characteristics. The empirical evidence mostly confirms the hypotheses, revealing statistically significant relations for several goal variables: (1) the surface structure properties, local rill density, local relief energy and terrain surface height change; (2) the cover of different plant groups (annual, herbaceous, grass-like, woody, Fabaceae), and local vegetation height; and (3) terrain surface height change showed significant time-dependent relations with a variable that proxies local plant biomass. Additionally, period specific effects (like a calendar-year optimum effect for the occurrence of Fabaceae) were proven. Further and beyond the hypotheses, our findings on the spatiotemporal dynamics during the system's early development grasp processes which generally mark the transition from a geo-hydro-system towards a bio-geo-hydro system (weakening geomorphology effects on substrate surface dynamics, while vegetation effects intensify with time), where pure geomorphology or substrate feedbacks are changing into vegetation-substrate feedback processes.

Laser direct synthesis and patterning of silver nano/microstructures on a polymer substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yi-Kai; Lee, Ming-Tsang

2014-08-27

This study presents a novel approach for the rapid fabrication of conductive nano/microscale metal structures on flexible polymer substrate (polyimide). Silver film is simultaneously synthesized and patterned on the polyimide substrate using an advanced continuous wave (CW) laser direct writing technology and a transparent, particle-free reactive silver ion ink. The location and shape of the resulting silver patterns are written by a laser beam from a digitally controlled micromirror array device. The silver patterns fabricated by this laser direct synthesis and patterning (LDSP) process exhibit the remarkably low electrical resistivity of 2.1 μΩ cm, which is compatible to the electrical resistivity of bulk silver. This novel LDSP process requires no vacuum chamber or photomasks, and the steps needed for preparation of the modified reactive silver ink are simple and straightforward. There is none of the complexity and instability associated with the synthesis of the nanoparticles that are encountered for the conventional laser direct writing technology which involves nanoparticle sintering process. This LDSP technology is an advanced method of nano/microscale selective metal patterning on flexible substrates that is fast and environmentally benign and shows potential as a feasible process for the roll-to-roll manufacturing of large area flexible electronic devices.

CHF Enhancement by Surface Patterning based on Hydrodynamic Instability Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Han; Bang, In Cheol [UNIST, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-15

If the power density of a device exceeds the CHF point, bubbles and vapor films will be covered on the whole heater surface. Because vapor films have much lower heat transfer capabilities compared to the liquid layer, the temperature of the heater surface will increase rapidly, and the device could be damaged due to the heater burnout. Therefore, the prediction and the enhancement of the CHF are essential to maximizing the efficient heat removal region. Numerous studies have been conducted to describe the CHF phenomenon, such as hydrodynamic instability theory, macrolayer dryout theory, hot/dry spot theory, and bubble interaction theory. The hydrodynamic instability model, proposed by Zuber, is the predominant CHF model that Helmholtz instability attributed to the CHF. Zuber assumed that the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability wavelength is related to the Helmholtz wavelength. Lienhard and Dhir proposed a CHF model that Helmholtz instability wavelength is equal to the most dangerous RT wavelength. In addition, they showed the heater size effect using various heater surfaces. Lu et al. proposed a modified hydrodynamic theory that the Helmholtz instability was assumed to be the heater size and the area of the vapor column was used as a fitting factor. The modified hydrodynamic theories were based on the change of Helmholtz wavelength related to the RT instability wavelength. In the present study, the change of the RT instability wavelength, based on the heater surface modification, was conducted to show the CHF enhancement based on the heater surface patterning in a plate pool boiling. Sapphire glass was used as a base heater substrate, and the Pt film was used as a heating source. The patterning surface was based on the change of RT instability wavelength. In the present work the study of the CHF was conducted using bare Pt and patterned heating surfaces.

Amplification of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Due to Substrate-Mediated Localized Surface Plasmons in Gold Nanodimers

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng

2017-03-28

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is ubiquitous in chemical and biochemical sensing, imaging and identification. Maximizing SERS enhancement is a continuous effort focused on the design of appropriate SERS substrates. Here we show that significant improvement in a SERS signal can be achieved with substrates combining localized surface plasmon resonances and a nonresonant plasmonic substrate. By introducing a continuous gold (Au) film underneath Au nanodimers antenna arrays, an over 10-fold increase in SERS enhancement is demonstrated. Triangular, rectangle and disc dimers were studied, with bowtie antenna providing highest SERS enhancement. Simulations of electromagnetic field distributions of the Au nanodimers on the Au film support the observed enhancement dependences. The hybridization of localized plasmonic modes with the image modes in a metal film provides a straightforward way to improve SERS enhancement in designer SERS substrate.

New process for high optical quality InAs quantum dots grown on patterned GaAs(001) substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso-Gonzalez, Pablo; Gonzalez, Luisa; Gonzalez, Yolanda; Fuster, David; Fernandez-Martinez, Ivan; Martin-Sanchez, Javier; Abelmann, Leon

2007-01-01

This work presents a selective ultraviolet (UV)-ozone oxidation-chemical etching process that has been used, in combination with laser interference lithography (LIL), for the preparation of GaAs patterned substrates. Further molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of InAs results in ordered InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) arrays with high optical quality from the first layer of QDs formed on the patterned substrate. The main result is the development of a patterning technology that allows the engineering of customized geometrical displays of QDs with the same optical quality as those formed spontaneously on flat non-patterned substrates

Biofunctionalization on alkylated silicon substrate surfaces via "click" chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Guoting; Santos, Catherine; Zhang, Wen; Li, Yan; Kumar, Amit; Erasquin, Uriel J; Liu, Kai; Muradov, Pavel; Trautner, Barbara Wells; Cai, Chengzhi

2010-11-24

Biofunctionalization of silicon substrates is important to the development of silicon-based biosensors and devices. Compared to conventional organosiloxane films on silicon oxide intermediate layers, organic monolayers directly bound to the nonoxidized silicon substrates via Si-C bonds enhance the sensitivity of detection and the stability against hydrolytic cleavage. Such monolayers presenting a high density of terminal alkynyl groups for bioconjugation via copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC, a "click" reaction) were reported. However, yields of the CuAAC reactions on these monolayer platforms were low. Also, the nonspecific adsorption of proteins on the resultant surfaces remained a major obstacle for many potential biological applications. Herein, we report a new type of "clickable" monolayers grown by selective, photoactivated surface hydrosilylation of α,ω-alkenynes, where the alkynyl terminal is protected with a trimethylgermanyl (TMG) group, on hydrogen-terminated silicon substrates. The TMG groups on the film are readily removed in aqueous solutions in the presence of Cu(I). Significantly, the degermanylation and the subsequent CuAAC reaction with various azides could be combined into a single step in good yields. Thus, oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) with an azido tag was attached to the TMG-alkyne surfaces, leading to OEG-terminated surfaces that reduced the nonspecific adsorption of protein (fibrinogen) by >98%. The CuAAC reaction could be performed in microarray format to generate arrays of mannose and biotin with varied densities on the protein-resistant OEG background. We also demonstrated that the monolayer platform could be functionalized with mannose for highly specific capturing of living targets (Escherichia coli expressing fimbriae) onto the silicon substrates.

Buckle initiation and delamination of patterned ITO layers on a polymer substrate

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abdallah, Amir; Bouten, P.C.P.; Toonder, den J.M.J.; With, de G.

2011-01-01

Buckle initiation and delamination of patterned ITO layers on a polymer substrate were studied. Various buckle modes have been observed depending on the type of etch defects and the crack patterns. The buckle density was found to be dependent on the number of etch defects, imperfections, applied

Wetting on structured substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dietrich, S; Popescu, M N; Rauscher, M

2005-01-01

Chemically patterned surfaces are of significant interest in the context of microfluidic applications, and miniaturization of such devices aims at generating structures on the nano-scale. Whereas on the micron scale purely macroscopic descriptions of liquid flow are valid, on the nanometre scale long-ranged inter-molecular interactions, thermal fluctuations such as capillary waves, and finally the molecular structure of the liquid become important. We discuss the most important conceptual differences between flow on chemically patterned substrates on the micron scale and on the nanometre scale, and formulate four design issues for nanofluidics related to channel width, channel separation, and channel bending radius. As a specific example of nano-scale transport we present a microscopic model for the dynamics of spreading of monolayers on homogeneous substrates. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations of this model on a homogeneous substrate reveal a complex spatio-temporal structure of the extracted monolayer, which includes the emergence of interfaces and of scaling properties of density profiles. These features are discussed and rationalized within the corresponding continuum limit derived from the microscopic dynamics. The corresponding spreading behaviour on a patterned substrate is briefly addressed

Nanoscale patterning of a self-assembled monolayer by modification of the molecule–substrate bond

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cai Shen

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The intercalation of Cu at the interface of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM and a Au(111/mica substrate by underpotential deposition (UPD is studied as a means of high resolution patterning. A SAM of 2-(4'-methylbiphenyl-4-ylethanethiol (BP2 prepared in a structural phase that renders the Au substrate completely passive against Cu-UPD, is patterned by modification with the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope. The tip-induced defects act as nucleation sites for Cu-UPD. The lateral diffusion of the metal at the SAM–substrate interface and, thus, the pattern dimensions are controlled by the deposition time. Patterning down to the sub-20 nm range is demonstrated. The difference in strength between the S–Au and S–Cu bond is harnessed to develop the latent Cu-UPD image into a patterned binary SAM. Demonstrated by the exchange of BP2 by adamantanethiol (AdSH this is accomplished by a sequence of reductive desorption of BP2 in Cu free areas followed by adsorption of AdSH. The appearance of Au adatom islands upon the thiol exchange suggests that the interfacial structures of BP2 and AdSH SAMs are different.

Amplification of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Due to Substrate-Mediated Localized Surface Plasmons in Gold Nanodimers

KAUST Repository

Yue, Weisheng; Wang, Zhihong; Whittaker, John; Lopez-royo, Francisco; Yang, Yang; Zayats, Anatoly

2017-01-01

that significant improvement in a SERS signal can be achieved with substrates combining localized surface plasmon resonances and a nonresonant plasmonic substrate. By introducing a continuous gold (Au) film underneath Au nanodimers antenna arrays, an over 10-fold

Fabrication and characterization of surface barrier detector from commercial silicon substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, Fabio Eduardo da; Silva, Julio Batista Rodrigues da

2015-01-01

This work used 5 silicon substrates, n-type with resistivity between 500-20,000 Ω.cm, with 12 mm diameter and 1 mm thickness, from Wacker - Chemitronic, Germany. To produce the surface barrier detectors, the substrates were first cleaned, then, they were etched with HNO 3 solution. After this, a deposition of suitable materials on the crystal was made, to produce the desired population inversion of the crystal characteristics. The substrates received a 10 mm diameter gold contact in one of the surfaces and a 5 mm diameter aluminum in the other. The curves I x V and the energy spectra for 28 keV and 59 keV, for each of the produced detectors, were measured. From the 5 substrates, 4 of them resulted in detectors and one did not present even diode characteristics. The results showed that the procedures used are suitable to produce detectors with this type of silicon substrates. (author)

Replication of patterned thin-film structures for use in plasmonics and metamaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Norris, David J; Han, Sang Eon; Bhan, Aditya; Nagpal, Prashant; Lindquist, Nathan Charles; Oh, Sang-Hyun

2015-02-03

The present invention provides templating methods for replicating patterned metal films from a template substrate such as for use in plasmonic devices and metamaterials. Advantageously, the template substrate is reusable and can provide plural copies of the structure of the template substrate. Because high-quality substrates that are inherently smooth and flat are available, patterned metal films in accordance with the present invention can advantageously provide surfaces that replicate the surface characteristics of the template substrate both in the patterned regions and in the unpatterned regions.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy based on conical holed enhancing substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Yao; Chen, Zeng-Ping; Zuo, Qi; Shi, Cai-Xia; Yu, Ru-Qin

2015-01-01

In this contribution, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on conical holed glass substrates deposited with silver colloids was reported for the first time. It combines the advantages of both dry SERS assays based on plane films deposited with silver colloids and wet SERS assays utilizing cuvettes or capillary tubes. Compared with plane glass substrates deposited with silver colloids, the conical holed glass substrates deposited with silver colloids exhibited five-to ten-folds of increase in the rate of signal enhancement, due to the internal multiple reflections of both the excitation laser beam and the Raman scattering photons within conical holes. The application of conical holed glass substrates could also yield significantly stronger and more reproducible SERS signals than SERS assays utilizing capillary tubes to sample the mixture of silver colloids and the solution of the analyte of interest. The conical holed glass substrates in combination with the multiplicative effects model for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (MEM SERS ) achieved quite sensitive and precise quantification of 6-mercaptopurine in complex plasma samples with an average relative prediction error of about 4% and a limit of detection of about 0.02 μM using a portable i-Raman 785H spectrometer. It is reasonable to expect that SERS technique based on conical holed enhancing substrates in combination with MEM SERS model can be developed and extended to other application areas such as drug detection, environmental monitoring, and clinic analysis, etc. - Highlights: • A novel conical holed SERS enhancing substrate was designed and manufactured. • The optimal conical holed glass substrates can produce stronger SERS signal. • The novel substrates can overcome the shortcomings of both dry and wet methods. • The novel substrates coupled with MEM SERS can realize quantitative SERS assays

Pre-patterned ZnO nanoribbons on soft substrates for stretchable energy harvesting applications

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Teng; Wang, Yong; Tang, Rui; Yu, Hongyu; Jiang, Hanqing

2013-05-01

Three pre-patterned ZnO nanoribbons in different configurations were studied in this paper, including (a) straight ZnO nanoribbons uniformly bonded on soft substrates that form sinusoidal buckles, (b) straight ZnO nanoribbons selectively bonded on soft substrates that form pop-up buckles, and (c) serpentine ZnO nanoribbons bonded on soft substrates via anchors. The nonlinear dynamics and random analysis were conducted to obtain the fundamental frequencies and to evaluate their performance in energy harvesting applications. We found that pop-up buckles and overhanging serpentine structures are suitable for audio frequency energy harvesting applications. Remarkably, almost unchanged fundamental natural frequency upon strain is achieved by properly patterning ZnO nanoribbons, which initiates a new and exciting direction of stretchable energy harvesting using nano-scale materials in audio frequency range.

Scaling in patterns produces by cluster deposition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kyhle, Anders; Sørensen, Alexis Hammer; Oddershede, Lene

1997-01-01

Cluster deposition on flat substrates can lead to surprising patterns. This pattern formation can be related either to phenomena taking place at the substrate surface or to dynamics in the cluster beam. We describe the observation of a pattern of particles each being an aggregate of Cu clusters. ...

Laser writing of single-crystalline gold substrates for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Astha; Sharma, Geeta; Ranjan, Neeraj; Mittholiya, Kshitij; Bhatnagar, Anuj; Singh, B. P.; Mathur, Deepak; Vasa, Parinda

2017-07-01

Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy, a powerful contemporary tool for studying low-concentration analytes via surface plasmon induced enhancement of local electric field, is of utility in biochemistry, material science, threat detection, and environmental studies. We have developed a simple, fast, scalable, and relatively low-cost optical method of fabricating and characterizing large-area, reusable and broadband SERS substrates with long storage lifetime. We use tightly focused, intense infra-red laser pulses to write gratings on single-crystalline, Au (1 1 1) gold films on mica which act as SERS substrates. Our single-crystalline SERS substrates compare favourably, in terms of surface quality and roughness, to those fabricated in poly-crystalline Au films. Tests show that our SERS substrates have the potential of detecting urea and 1,10-phenantroline adulterants in milk and water, respectively, at 0.01 ppm (or lower) concentrations.

On the influence of surface patterning on tissue self-assembly and mechanics.

Science.gov (United States)

Coppola, Valerio; Ventre, Maurizio; Natale, Carlo F; Rescigno, Francesca; Netti, Paolo A

2018-04-28

Extracellular matrix assembly and composition influence the biological and mechanical functions of tissues. Developing strategies to control the spatial arrangement of cells and matrix is of central importance for tissue engineering-related approaches relying on self-assembling and scaffoldless processes. Literature reports demonstrated that signals patterned on material surfaces are able to control cell positioning and matrix orientation. However, the mechanisms underlying the interactions between material signals and the structure of the de novo synthesized matrix are far from being thoroughly understood. In this work, we investigated the ordering effect provided by nanoscale topographic patterns on the assembly of tissue sheets grown in vitro. We stimulated MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts to produce and assemble a collagen-rich matrix on substrates displaying patterns with long- or short-range order. Then, we investigated microstructural features and mechanical properties of the tissue in uniaxial tension. Our results demonstrate that patterned material surfaces are able to control the initial organization of cells in close contact to the surface; then cell-generated contractile forces profoundly remodel tissue structure towards mechanically stable spatial patterns. Such a remodelling effect acts both locally, as it affects cell and nuclear shape and globally, by affecting the gross mechanical response of the tissue. Such an aspect of dynamic interplay between cells and the surrounding matrix must be taken into account when designing material platform for the in vitro generation of tissue with specific microstructural assemblies. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering biosensor for DNA detection on nanoparticle island substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuan, Scott Wu; Ho, Ho Pui; Lee, Rebecca K.Y.

2009-01-01

We present a study on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of Ag nanoparticle island substrates (NIS) and their applications for target oligonucleotide (OND) detection. It has been found that the surface nanostructure of NIS samples can be controlled with a good degree of repro......We present a study on the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties of Ag nanoparticle island substrates (NIS) and their applications for target oligonucleotide (OND) detection. It has been found that the surface nanostructure of NIS samples can be controlled with a good degree...

Continuous sheathless microparticle and cell patterning using CL-SSAWs (conductive liquid-based standing surface acoustic waves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeonghun Nam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We present continuous, sheathless microparticle patterning using conductive liquid (CL-based standing surface acoustic waves (SSAWs. Conventional metal electrodes patterned on a piezoelectric substrate were replaced with electrode channels filled with a CL. The device performance was evaluated with 5-μm fluorescent polystyrene particles at different flow rate and via phase shifting. In addition, our device was further applied to continuous concentration of malaria parasites at the sidewalls of the fluidic channel.

Ag/SiO2 surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate for plasticizer detection

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ming-Chung; Lin, Ming-Pin; Lin, Ting-Han; Su, Wei-Fang

2018-04-01

In this study, we demonstrated a simple method of fabricating a high-performance surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate. Monodispersive SiO2 colloidal spheres were self-assembled on a silicon wafer, and then a silver layer was coated on it to obtain a Ag/SiO2 SERS substrate. The Ag/SiO2 SERS substrates were used to detect three kinds of plasticizer with different concentrations, namely, including bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). The enhancement of Raman scattering intensity caused by surface plasmon resonance can be observed using the Ag/SiO2 SERS substrates. The Ag/SiO2 SERS substrate with a 150-nm-thick silver layer can detect plasticizers, and it satisfies the detection limit of plasticizers at 100 ppm. The developed highly sensitive Ag/SiO2 SERS substrates show a potential for the design and fabrication of functional sensors to identify the harmful plasticizers that plastic products release in daily life.

Effects of laminin blended with chitosan on axon guidance on patterned substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, N; Guan, Y J; Chen, X B [Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5A9 (Canada); Li, M G [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon S7N 5A9 (Canada); Schreyer, D J, E-mail: niz504@mail.usask.c [Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Cameco MS Neuroscience Research Center, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7K 0M7 (Canada)

2010-12-15

Axon guidance is a crucial consideration in the design of tissue scaffolds used to promote nerve regeneration. Here we investigate the combined use of laminin (a putative axon adhesion and guidance molecule) and chitosan (a leading candidate base material for the construction of scaffolds) for promoting axon guidance in cultured adult dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Using a dispensing-based rapid prototyping (DBRP) technique, two-dimensional grid patterns were created by dispensing chitosan or laminin-blended chitosan substrate strands oriented in orthogonal directions. In vitro experiments illustrated DRG neurites on these patterns preferentially grew upon and followed the laminin-blended chitosan pathways. These results suggest that an orientation of neurite growth can be achieved in an artificially patterned substrate by creating selectively biofunctional pathways. The DBRP technique may provide improved strategies for the use of biofunctional pathways in the design of three-dimensional scaffolds for guidance of nerve repair.

Effects of laminin blended with chitosan on axon guidance on patterned substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, N; Guan, Y J; Chen, X B; Li, M G; Schreyer, D J

2010-01-01

Axon guidance is a crucial consideration in the design of tissue scaffolds used to promote nerve regeneration. Here we investigate the combined use of laminin (a putative axon adhesion and guidance molecule) and chitosan (a leading candidate base material for the construction of scaffolds) for promoting axon guidance in cultured adult dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Using a dispensing-based rapid prototyping (DBRP) technique, two-dimensional grid patterns were created by dispensing chitosan or laminin-blended chitosan substrate strands oriented in orthogonal directions. In vitro experiments illustrated DRG neurites on these patterns preferentially grew upon and followed the laminin-blended chitosan pathways. These results suggest that an orientation of neurite growth can be achieved in an artificially patterned substrate by creating selectively biofunctional pathways. The DBRP technique may provide improved strategies for the use of biofunctional pathways in the design of three-dimensional scaffolds for guidance of nerve repair.

Superhydrophobic ZnAl double hydroxide nanostructures and ZnO films on Al and glass substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De, Debasis, E-mail: debasis.de@bcrec.ac.in [Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering Department, Dr. B C Roy Engineering College, Durgapur, West Bengal 713206 (India); Sarkar, D.K. [Centre Universitaire de Recherche sur l' Aluminium (CURAL), L' Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555 Blvd. Université, Chicoutimi, Saguenay, Québec G7H 2B1 (Canada)

2017-01-01

Superhydrophobic nanostructured ZnAl: layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and ZnO films have been fabricated on Al and glass substrates, respectively, by a simple and cost effective chemical bath deposition technique. Randomly oriented hexagonal patterned of ZnAl: LDHs thin nanoplates are clearly observed on Al-substrate in the scanning electron microscopic images. The average size of these hexagonal plates is ∼4 μm side and ∼30 nm of thickness. While on the glass substrate, a oriented hexagonal patterned ZnO nanorods (height ∼5 μm and 1 μm diameter) are observed and each rod is further decorated throughout the top few nanometers with several nanosteps. At the top of the nanorod, a perfectly hexagonal patterned ZnO surface with ∼250 nm sides is observed. The tendency to form hexagonal morphological features is due to the hexagonal crystal structure of ZnO confirmed from X-ray diffraction patterns and transmission electron microscopy image. The ZnAl: LDHs and/or ZnO coated substrates have been passivated by using stearic acid (SA) molecules. Infrared spectra of passivated ZnAl: LDHs coated substrates confirm the presence of SA. X-ray diffraction pattern also corroborates the results of infrared spectrum. The contact angle of the as prepared samples is zero. The superhydrophobicity is achieved by observing contact angle of ∼161° with a hysteresis of ∼4° for Al-substrate. On the glass substrate, a higher contact angle of ∼168° with a lower hysteresis of ∼3° is observed. A lower surface roughness of ∼4.93 μm is measured on ZnAl: LDHs surface layer on the Al substrate as compare to a higher surface roughness of 6.87 μm measured on ZnO layer on glass substrate. The superhydrophobicity of passivated nanostructured films on two different substrates is observed due to high surface roughness and low surface energy. - Highlights: • ZnAl: layered double hydroxides (LDHs) nanoplates are fabricated on Al substrate. • ZnO nanorods are fabricated on

Formation of precise 2D Au particle arrays via thermally induced dewetting on pre-patterned substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong Wang

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The fabrication of precise 2D Au nanoparticle arrays over a large area is presented. The technique was based on pre-patterning of the substrate before the deposition of a thin Au film, and the creation of periodic particle arrays by subsequent dewetting induced by annealing. Two types of pre-patterned substrates were used: The first comprised an array of pyramidal pits and the second an array of circular holes. For the dewetting of Au films on the pyramidal pit substrate, the structural curvature-driven diffusion cooperates with capillarity-driven diffusion, resulting in the formation of precise 2D particle arrays for films within a structure dependent thickness-window. For the dewetting of Au films on the circular hole substrate, the periodic discontinuities in the films, induced by the deposition, can limit the diffusion paths and lead to the formation of one particle per individual separated region (holes or mesas between holes, and thus, result in the evolution of precise 2D particle arrays. The influence of the pre-patterned structures and the film thickness is analyzed and discussed. For both types of pre-patterned substrate, the Au film thickness had to be adjusted in a certain thickness-window in order to achieve the precise 2D particle arrays.

Formation of precise 2D Au particle arrays via thermally induced dewetting on pre-patterned substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Ran

2011-01-01

Summary The fabrication of precise 2D Au nanoparticle arrays over a large area is presented. The technique was based on pre-patterning of the substrate before the deposition of a thin Au film, and the creation of periodic particle arrays by subsequent dewetting induced by annealing. Two types of pre-patterned substrates were used: The first comprised an array of pyramidal pits and the second an array of circular holes. For the dewetting of Au films on the pyramidal pit substrate, the structural curvature-driven diffusion cooperates with capillarity-driven diffusion, resulting in the formation of precise 2D particle arrays for films within a structure dependent thickness-window. For the dewetting of Au films on the circular hole substrate, the periodic discontinuities in the films, induced by the deposition, can limit the diffusion paths and lead to the formation of one particle per individual separated region (holes or mesas between holes), and thus, result in the evolution of precise 2D particle arrays. The influence of the pre-patterned structures and the film thickness is analyzed and discussed. For both types of pre-patterned substrate, the Au film thickness had to be adjusted in a certain thickness-window in order to achieve the precise 2D particle arrays. PMID:21977445

Etching of GaAs substrates to create As-rich surface

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

WINTEC

during the manipulations of the substrate after the chemi- cal etching process. ... using the four techniques described in table 1 and for an. *Author for ... Etching of GaAs substrates to create As-rich surface. 563. Table 1. Treatment procedures used. Treatment. Techniques. 1st stage. 2nd stage. 3rd stage. 4th stage. 1. Treated ...

Synthesis of Graphene Based Membranes: Effect of Substrate Surface Properties on Monolayer Graphene Transfer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kafiah, Feras; Khan, Zafarullah; Ibrahim, Ahmed; Atieh, Muataz; Laoui, Tahar

2017-01-21

In this work, we report the transfer of graphene onto eight commercial microfiltration substrates having different pore sizes and surface characteristics. Monolayer graphene grown on copper by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process was transferred by the pressing method over the target substrates, followed by wet etching of copper to obtain monolayer graphene/polymer membranes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle (CA) measurements were carried out to explore the graphene layer transferability. Three factors, namely, the substrate roughness, its pore size, and its surface wetting (degree of hydrophobicity) are found to affect the conformality and coverage of the transferred graphene monolayer on the substrate surface. A good quality graphene transfer is achieved on the substrate with the following characteristics; being hydrophobic (CA > 90°), having small pore size, and low surface roughness, with a CA to RMS (root mean square) ratio higher than 2.7°/nm.

Photoreactive polymer brushes for high-density patterned surface derivatization using a Diels-Alder photoclick reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Arumugam, Selvanathan; Orski, Sara V; Locklin, Jason; Popik, Vladimir V

2012-01-11

Reactive polymer brushes grown on silicon oxide surfaces were derivatized with photoreactive 3-(hydroxymethyl)naphthalene-2-ol (NQMP) moieties. Upon 300 or 350 nm irradiation, NQMP efficiently produces o-naphthoquinone methide (oNQM), which in turn undergoes very rapid Diels-Alder addition to vinyl ether groups attached to a substrate, resulting in the covalent immobilization of the latter. Any unreacted oNQM groups rapidly add water to regenerate NQMP. High-resolution surface patterning is achieved by irradiating NQMP-derivatized surfaces using photolithographic methods. The Diels-Alder photoclick reaction is orthogonal to azide-alkyne click chemistry, enabling sequential photoclick/azide-click derivatizations to generate complex surface functionalities. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Method of electrode printing on one or more surfaces of a dielectric substrate

KAUST Repository

Neophytou, Marios

2017-09-14

Described herein is a method for printing electrodes surfaces of a dielectric substrate. Provided herein is a new method of depositing electrically conductive electrodes of any shape on flexible and/or rigid dielectric substrates/surfaces and devices so produced. In various embodiments, the devices can generate ionic wind, for example to remove dust or other debris or contaminants or to remove ice or humidity from a surface.

Method of electrode printing on one or more surfaces of a dielectric substrate

KAUST Repository

Neophytou, Marios; Kirkus, Mindaugas; Lacoste, Deanna A.

2017-01-01

Described herein is a method for printing electrodes surfaces of a dielectric substrate. Provided herein is a new method of depositing electrically conductive electrodes of any shape on flexible and/or rigid dielectric substrates/surfaces and devices so produced. In various embodiments, the devices can generate ionic wind, for example to remove dust or other debris or contaminants or to remove ice or humidity from a surface.

Molecular beam epitaxy of CdSe epilayers and quantum wells on ZnTe substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Y.M.; Andre, R.; Kasprzak, J.; Dang, Le Si; Bellet-Amalric, E.

2007-01-01

We have grown zinc-blende cadmium selenide (CdSe) epilayers on ZnTe-(0 0 1) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). By controlling the substrate temperature and beam-equivalent pressure (BEP) ratio, of Se to Cd, we determined the most suitable growth condition based on reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) pattern. At a substrate temperature of 280 deg. C and a BEP ratio of 3.6, the RHEED pattern showed a V-like feature, indicating a rough surface with facets. As the substrate temperature was increased to 360 deg. C at the same BEP ratio, a V-like RHEED pattern moved to a clear streaky pattern. Moreover when the BEP ratio was increased to 4.8 at 360 deg. C of substrate temperature, a clear (2 x 1) reconstruction of the CdSe layer was observed. A CdSe/CdMgSe single quantum well structure was also grown on ZnTe-(0 0 1) substrate by MBE. The RHEED pattern showed a clear (2 x 1) surface reconstruction during the growth. By photoluminescence measurement, a good optical property of the structure was obtained

Surface modification of ceramic and metallic alloy substrates by laser raster-scanning

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos Grez, Jorge Andres

This work describes the feasibility of continuous wave laser-raster scan-processing under controlled atmospheric conditions as employed in three distinct surface modification processes: (a) surface roughness reduction of indirect-Selective Laser Sintered 420 martensitic stainless steel-40 wt. % bronze infiltrated surfaces; (b) Si-Cr-Hf-C coating consolidation over 3D carbon-carbon composites cylinders; (c) dendritic solidification structures of Mar-M 247 confined powder precursor grown from polycrystalline Alloy 718 substrates. A heat transfer model was developed to illustrate that the aspect ratio of the laser scanned pattern and the density of scanning lines play a significant role in determining peak surface temperature, heating and cooling rates and melt resident times. Comprehensive characterization of the surface of the processed specimens was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), optical metallography, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and, in certain cases, tactile profilometry. In Process (a), it was observed that a 24% to 37% roughness Ra reduction could be accomplished from the as-received value of 2.50+/-0.10 microns for laser energy densities ranging from 350 to 500 J/cm2. In Process (b), complete reactive wetting of carbon-carbon composite cylinders surface was achieved by laser melting a Si-Cr-Hf-C slurry. Coatings showed good thermal stability at 1000°C in argon, and, when tested in air, a percent weight reduction rate of -6.5 wt.%/hr was achieved. A soda-glass overcoat applied over the coated specimens by conventional means revealed a percent weight reduction rate between -1.4 to -2.2 wt.%/hr. Finally, in Process (c), microstructure of the Mar-M 247 single layer deposits, 1 mm in height, grown on Alloy 718 polycrystalline sheets, resulted in a sound metallurgical bond, low porosity, and uniform thickness. Polycrystalline dendrites grew preferentially along the [001] direction from the substrate up to 400

Effect of surface area of substrates aiming the optimization of carbon nanotube production from ferrocene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osorio, A.G.; Bergmann, C.P.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► An optimized synthesis of CNTs by ferrocene is proposed. ► The surface area of substrates influences the nucleation of CNTs. ► The higher the surface area of substrates the lower the temperature of synthesis. ► Chemical composition of substrates has no influence on the growth of CNTs. - Abstract: Ferrocene is widely used for the synthesis of carbon nanotubes due to its ability to act as catalyst and precursor of the synthesis. This paper proposes an optimization of the synthesis of carbon nanotubes from ferrocene, using a substrate with high surface area for their nucleation. Four different surface areas of silica powder were tested: 0.5, 50, 200 and 300 m 2 /g. Raman spectroscopy and microscopy were used to characterize the product obtained and X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis were also performed to evaluate the phases of the material. It was observed that the silica powder with the highest surface area allowed the synthesis of carbon nanotubes to occur at a lower temperature (600 °C), whereas substrates with a surface area lower than 50 m 2 /g will only form carbon nanotubes at temperatures higher than 750 °C. In order to evaluate the influence of chemical composition of the substrate, three different ceramic powders were analyzed: alumina, silica and zirconia. carbon black and previously synthesized carbon nanotubes were also used as substrate for the synthesis and the results showed that the chemical composition of the substrate does not play a relevant role in the synthesis of carbon nanotubes, only the surface area showed an influence.

Surface structuring in polypropylene using Ar+ beam sputtering: Pattern transition from ripples to dot nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Goyal, Meetika; Aggarwal, Sanjeev; Sharma, Annu; Ojha, Sunil

2018-05-01

Temporal variations in nano-scale surface morphology generated on Polypropylene (PP) substrates utilizing 40 keV oblique argon ion beam have been presented. Due to controlled variation of crucial beam parameters i.e. ion incidence angle and erosion time, formation of ripple patterns and further its transition into dot nanostructures have been realized. Experimental investigations have been supported by evaluation of Bradley and Harper (B-H) coefficients estimated using SRIM (The Stopping and Range of Ions in Matter) simulations. Roughness of pristine target surfaces has been accredited to be a crucial factor behind the early time evolution of nano-scale patterns over the polymeric surface. Study of Power spectral density (PSD) spectra reveals that smoothing mechanism switch from ballistic drift to ion enhanced surface diffusion (ESD) which can be the most probable cause for such morphological transition under given experimental conditions. Compositional analysis and depth profiling of argon ion irradiated specimens using Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS) has also been correlated with the AFM findings.

Aligned, isotropic and patterned carbon nanotube substrates that control the growth and alignment of Chinese hamster ovary cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abdullah, Che Azurahanim Che; Asanithi, Piyapong; Brunner, Eric W; Jurewicz, Izabela; Bo, Chiara; Sear, Richard P; Dalton, Alan B [Department of Physics and Surrey Materials Institute, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH (United Kingdom); Azad, Chihye Lewis; Ovalle-Robles, Raquel; Fang Shaoli; Lima, Marcio D; Lepro, Xavier; Collins, Steve; Baughman, Ray H, E-mail: r.sear@surrey.ac.uk [Alan G MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080-3021 (United States)

2011-05-20

Here we culture Chinese hamster ovary cells on isotropic, aligned and patterned substrates based on multiwall carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes provide the substrate with nanoscale topography. The cells adhere to and grow on all substrates, and on the aligned substrate, the cells align strongly with the axis of the bundles of the multiwall nanotubes. This control over cell alignment is required for tissue engineering; almost all tissues consist of oriented cells. The aligned substrates are made using straightforward physical chemistry techniques from forests of multiwall nanotubes; no lithography is required to make inexpensive large-scale substrates with highly aligned nanoscale grooves. Interestingly, although the cells strongly align with the nanoscale grooves, only a few also elongate along this axis: alignment of the cells does not require a pronounced change in morphology of the cell. We also pattern the nanotube bundles over length scales comparable to the cell size and show that the cells follow this pattern.

Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates Made by Oblique Angle Deposition: Methods and Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hin On Chu

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy presents a rapid, non-destructive method to identify chemical and biological samples with up to single molecule sensitivity. Since its discovery in 1974, the technique has become an intense field of interdisciplinary research, typically generating >2000 publications per year since 2011. The technique relies on the localised surface plasmon resonance phenomenon, where incident light can couple with plasmons at the interface that result in the generation of an intense electric field. This field can propagate from the surface from the metal-dielectric interface, so molecules within proximity will experience more intense Raman scattering. Localised surface plasmon resonance wavelength is determined by a number of factors, such as size, geometry and material. Due to the requirements of the surface optical response, Ag and Au are typical metals used for surface enhanced Raman applications. These metals then need to have nano features that improve the localised surface plasmon resonance, several variants of these substrates exist; surfaces can range from nanoparticles in a suspension, electrochemically roughened electrodes to metal nanostructures on a substrate. The latter will be the focus of this review, particularly reviewing substrates made by oblique angle deposition. Oblique angle deposition is the technique of growing thin films so that the material flux is not normal to the surface. Films grown in this fashion will possess nanostructures, due to the atomic self-shadowing effect, that are dependent mainly on the deposition angle. Recent developments, applications and highlights of surface enhanced Raman scattering substrates made by oblique angle deposition will be reviewed.

The fabrication and application of patterned Si(001) substrates with ordered pits via nanosphere lithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Peixuan; Fan Yongliang; Zhong Zhenyang

2009-01-01

A new scalable approach has been developed for fabricating large-scale pit patterns with controllable periodicity on Si(001) substrates. The fabrication processes start with self-assembling a monolayer of polystyrene (PS) spheres on hydrogenated Si(001) substrates. A novel net-like mask in combination of the Au pattern thermally evaporated in between the PS spheres and the Au-catalyzed SiO 2 around them is naturally formed. After selective etching of Si by KOH solution, two-dimensionally ordered pits with a periodicity equal to the diameter of the PS spheres in the range from micrometers to less than 100 nm can be obtained. The shape of the pits can be modulated by controlling the chemical etching time. Such pit-patterned Si substrates facilitate the formation of ordered Si-based nanostructures, such as ordered self-assembled GeSi quantum dots, by deposition of Ge using molecular beam epitaxy.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy with Au-nanoparticle substrate fabricated by using femtosecond pulse

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wending; Li, Cheng; Gao, Kun; Lu, Fanfan; Liu, Min; Li, Xin; Zhang, Lu; Mao, Dong; Gao, Feng; Huang, Ligang; Mei, Ting; Zhao, Jianlin

2018-05-01

Au-nanoparticle (Au-NP) substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) were fabricated by grid-like scanning a Au-film using a femtosecond pulse. The Au-NPs were directly deposited on the Au-film surface due to the scanning process. The experimentally obtained Au-NPs presented local surface plasmon resonance effect in the visible spectral range, as verified by finite difference time domain simulations and measured reflection spectrum. The SERS experiment using the Au-NP substrates exhibited high activity and excellent substrate reproducibility and stability, and a clearly present Raman spectra of target analytes, e.g. Rhodamine-6G, Rhodamine-B and Malachite green, with concentrations down to 10‑9 M. This work presents an effective approach to producing Au-NP SERS substrates with advantages in activity, reproducibility and stability, which could be used in a wide variety of practical applications for trace amount detection.

GaN nanorods and LED structures grown on patterned Si and AlN/Si substrates by selective area growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Shunfeng; Fuendling, Soenke; Soekmen, Uensal; Neumann, Richard; Merzsch, Stephan; Peiner, Erwin; Wehmann, Hergo-Heinrich; Waag, Andreas [Institut fuer Halbleitertechnik, TU Braunschweig (Germany); Hinze, Peter; Weimann, Thomas [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig (Germany); Jahn, Uwe; Trampert, Achim; Riechert, Henning [Paul-Drude-Institut fuer Festkoerperelektronik, Berlin (Germany)

2010-07-15

GaN nanorods (NRs) show promising applications in high-efficiency light emitting diodes, monolithic white light emission and optical interconnection due to their superior properties. In this work, we performed GaN nanostructures growth by pre-patterning the Si and AlN/Si substrates. The pattern was transferred to Si and AlN/Si substrates by photolithography and inductively-coupled plasma etching. GaN NRs were grown on these templates by metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE). GaN grown on Si pillar templates show a truncated pyramidal structure. Transmission electron microscopy measurements demonstrated clearly that the threading dislocations bend to the side facets of the GaN nanostructures and terminate. GaN growth can also be observed on the sidewalls and bottom surface between the Si pillars. A simple phenomenological model is proposed to explain the GaN nanostructure growth on Si pillar templates. Based on this model, we developed another growth method, by which we grow GaN rod structures on pre-patterned AlN/Si templates. By in-situ nitridation and decreasing of the V/III ratio, we found that GaN rods only grew on the patterned AlN/Si dots with an aspect ratio of about 1.5 - 2. (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Directed ordering of phase separated domains and dewetting of thin polymer blend films on a topographically patterned substrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhandaru, Nandini; Karim, Alamgir; Mukherjee, Rabibrata

2017-07-21

Substrate pattern guided self-organization of ultrathin and confined polymeric films on a topographically patterned substrate is a useful approach for obtaining ordered meso and nano structures over large areas, particularly if the ordering is achieved during film preparation itself, eliminating any post-processing such as thermal or solvent vapor annealing. By casting a dilute solution of two immiscible polymers, polystyrene (PS) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), from a common solvent (toluene) on a topographically patterned substrate with a grating geometry, we show the formation of self-organized meso patterns with various degrees of ordering. The morphology depends on both the concentration of the dispensed solution (C n ) and the blend composition (R B ). Depending on the extent of dewetting during spin coating, the final morphologies can be classified into three distinct categories. At a very low C n the solution dewets fully, resulting in isolated polymer droplets aligned along substrate grooves (Type 1). Type 2 structures comprising isolated threads with aligned phase separated domains along each substrate groove are observed at intermediate C n . A continuous film (Type 3) is obtained above a critical concentration (C n *) that depends on R B . While the extent of ordering of the domains gradually diminishes with an increase in film thickness for Type 3 patterns, the size of the domains remains much smaller than that on a flat substrate, resulting in significant downsizing of the features due to the lateral confinement imposed on the phase separation process by the topographic patterns. Finally, we show that some of these structures exhibit excellent broadband anti-reflection (AR) properties.

Effects O2 plasma surface treatment on the electrical properties of the ITO substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Jin-Woong; Oh, Dong-Hoon; Shim, Sang-Min; Lee, Young-Sang; Kang, Yong-Gil; Shin, Jong-Yeol

2012-01-01

The indium-tin-oxide (ITO) substrate is used as a transparent electrode in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photovoltaic cells. The effect of an O 2 plasma surface treatment on the electrical properties of the ITO substrate was examined. The four-point probe method, an atomic force microscope (AFM), a LCR meter, a Cole-Cole plot, and a conductive mechanism analysis were used to assess the properties of the treated ITO substrates. The four-point probe method and the AFM study revealed a lower ITO surface resistance of 17.6 Ω/sq and an average roughness of 2 nm, respectively, for a substrate treated by a plasma at 250 W for 40 s. The lower surface resistance of the ITO substrate treated at 250 W for 40 s was confirmed by using a LCR meter. An amorphous fluoropolymer (AF) was deposited on an ITO substrate treated under the optimal conditions and on a non-plasma treated ITO substrate as well. The potential barriers for charge injection in these devices were 0.25 eV and 0.15 eV, respectively, indicating a 0.1-eV decrease due to the plasma treatment.

Paper based Flexible and Conformal SERS Substrate for Rapid Trace Detection on Real-world Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Singamaneni, Srikanth; Lee, Chang; Tian, Limei

2011-03-01

One of the important but often overlooked considerations in the design of surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates for trace detection is the efficiency of sample collection. Conventional designs based on rigid substrates such as silicon, alumina, and glass resist conformal contact with the surface under investigation, making the sample collection inefficient. We demonstrate a novel SERS substrate based on common filter paper adsorbed with gold nanorods, which allows conformal contact with real-world surfaces, thus dramatically enhancing the sample collection efficiency compared to conventional rigid substrates. We demonstrate the detection of trace amounts of analyte (140 pg spread over 4 cm2) by simply swabbing the surface under investigation with the novel SERS substrate. The hierarchical fibrous structure of paper serves as a 3D vasculature for easy uptake and transport of the analytes to the electromagnetic hot spots in the paper. Simple yet highly efficient and cost effective SERS substrate demonstrated here brings SERS based trace detection closer to real-world applications. We acknowledge the financial support from Center for Materials Innovation at Washington University.

Surface characterization and chemical analysis of bamboo substrates pretreated by alkali hydrogen peroxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xueping; Jiang, Yan; Rong, Xianjian; Wei, Wei; Wang, Shuangfei; Nie, Shuangxi

2016-09-01

The surface characterization and chemical analysis of bamboo substrates by alkali hydrogen peroxide pretreatment (AHPP) were investigated in this study. The results tended to manifest that AHPP prior to enzymatic and chemical treatment was potential for improving accessibility and reactivity of bamboo substrates. The inorganic components, organic solvent extractives and acid-soluble lignin were effectively removed by AHPP. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated that the surface of bamboo chips had less lignin but more carbohydrate after pre-treatment. Fiber surfaces became etched and collapsed, and more pores and debris on the substrate surface were observed with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Brenauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) results showed that both of pore volume and surface area were increased after AHPP. Although XRD analysis showed that AHPP led to relatively higher crystallinity, pre-extraction could overall enhance the accessibility of enzymes and chemicals into the bamboo structure. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Controllable wettability and morphology of electrodeposited surfaces on zinc substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Binyan; Lu, Shixiang, E-mail: shixianglu@bit.edu.cn; Xu, Wenguo, E-mail: wenguoxu60@bit.edu.cn; Cheng, Yuanyuan

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: Superhydrophobic surfaces combining hierarchical micro/nanostructures were fabricated on zinc substrates by etching, electrodeposition of ZnO coatings and annealing. Such superhydrophobic surfaces offer possibilities for chemical, biological, electronic and microfluidic applications. - Highlights: • Superhydrophobic surface was fabricated via electrodeposition of ZnO and annealing. • The ZnO hierarchical micro/nanostructures contribute to the surface superhydrophobicity. • Surface wettability and morphology can be controlled by varying process conditions. • The anti-icing properties and reversible wetting behaviors of the ZnO coatings were studied. - Abstract: Superhydrophobic surfaces combining hierarchical micro/nanostructures were fabricated on zinc substrates by etching in hydrochloric acid solution, electrodeposition of ZnO coatings and subsequent thermal annealing. The optimal coatings were electrodeposited at −1.25 V for 900 s on the etched zinc substrates and then annealed at 200 °C for 60 min, which could achieve a maximum water contact angle of 170 ± 2° and an ultra-low sliding angle of approximately 0°. By conducting SEM and water CA analysis, we found that the morphology and wettability of prepared samples were controllable by the fabrication process. Interestingly, even without any additional modification, the samples prepared under different electrodeposition conditions (including Zn(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2} concentration from 5 mM to 40 mM and deposition time from 300 s to 1500 s) exhibited superhydrophobic character. The influences of the Zn(CH{sub 3}COO){sub 2} concentration, deposition time, annealing temperature and annealing time on the wetting behaviors were also discussed in detail. Such superhydrophobic surfaces possess long-term stability, and good corrosion resistance as well as self-cleaning ability. In addition, the anti-icing properties of the ZnO films were investigated. These surfaces could be rapidly and

Controllable wettability and morphology of electrodeposited surfaces on zinc substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Binyan; Lu, Shixiang; Xu, Wenguo; Cheng, Yuanyuan

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: Superhydrophobic surfaces combining hierarchical micro/nanostructures were fabricated on zinc substrates by etching, electrodeposition of ZnO coatings and annealing. Such superhydrophobic surfaces offer possibilities for chemical, biological, electronic and microfluidic applications. - Highlights: • Superhydrophobic surface was fabricated via electrodeposition of ZnO and annealing. • The ZnO hierarchical micro/nanostructures contribute to the surface superhydrophobicity. • Surface wettability and morphology can be controlled by varying process conditions. • The anti-icing properties and reversible wetting behaviors of the ZnO coatings were studied. - Abstract: Superhydrophobic surfaces combining hierarchical micro/nanostructures were fabricated on zinc substrates by etching in hydrochloric acid solution, electrodeposition of ZnO coatings and subsequent thermal annealing. The optimal coatings were electrodeposited at −1.25 V for 900 s on the etched zinc substrates and then annealed at 200 °C for 60 min, which could achieve a maximum water contact angle of 170 ± 2° and an ultra-low sliding angle of approximately 0°. By conducting SEM and water CA analysis, we found that the morphology and wettability of prepared samples were controllable by the fabrication process. Interestingly, even without any additional modification, the samples prepared under different electrodeposition conditions (including Zn(CH_3COO)_2 concentration from 5 mM to 40 mM and deposition time from 300 s to 1500 s) exhibited superhydrophobic character. The influences of the Zn(CH_3COO)_2 concentration, deposition time, annealing temperature and annealing time on the wetting behaviors were also discussed in detail. Such superhydrophobic surfaces possess long-term stability, and good corrosion resistance as well as self-cleaning ability. In addition, the anti-icing properties of the ZnO films were investigated. These surfaces could be rapidly and reversibly switched

Physico-chemical properties of PDMS surfaces suitable as substrates for cell cultures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Raczkowska, Joanna, E-mail: joanna.raczkowska@uj.edu.pl [The Marian Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-428 Kraków (Poland); Prauzner-Bechcicki, Szymon [Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków (Poland); Lukes, Jaroslav; Sepitka, Josef [Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technicka 4, 16607 Prague (Czech Republic); Bernasik, Andrzej [Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH - University of Science and Technology, Reymonta 19, 30-049 Kraków (Poland); Awsiuk, Kamil [The Marian Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-428 Kraków (Poland); Paluszkiewicz, Czesława; Pabijan, Joanna; Lekka, Małgorzata [Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków (Poland); Budkowski, Andrzej [The Marian Smoluchowski Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-428 Kraków (Poland)

2016-12-15

Highlights: • Series of PDMS substrates with monotonically tuned elasticity were produced. • Method to estimate PDMS stiffness based on AFM force-distance curves was shown. • No change in surface properties of PDMS other than elasticity was demonstrated. • MTT performed for cancer cells showed impact of PDMS elasticity on cells behavior. - Abstract: Elastic properties of the substrate have profound effect on adhesion and proliferation of cells. Here, we introduce a method to produce polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates with stiffness tuned monotonically from 1.67 to 0.24 MPa, by the time of UV irradiation adjusted up to 5 h. The Young’s modulus (determined by using nanoindenter) scales linearly with stiffness calculated using AFM-based force spectroscopy data. Such a relation enables the determination of the Young modulus from AFM force – distance curves also when the Herz model is not applicable. Our findings demonstrate that surface properties of PDMS substrates are not affected by the applied methodology of tuning substrate elasticity. Finally, the colorimetric proliferation assay (MTT) carried out for non-malignant (HCV29) and cancerous (T24) bladder cancer cells depicted a significant contribution of PDMS substrate elasticity to the behavior of cells. The softer PDMS substrate demonstrated excellent cytocompatibility whereas the stiff one is more cell-repellent.

Friction of hydrogels with controlled surface roughness on solid flat substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Yashima, Shintaro; Takase, Natsuko; Kurokawa, Takayuki; Gong, Jian Ping

2014-05-14

This study investigated the effect of hydrogel surface roughness on its sliding friction against a solid substrate having modestly adhesive interaction with hydrogels under small normal pressure in water. The friction test was performed between bulk polyacrylamide hydrogels of varied surface roughness and a smooth glass substrate by using a strain-controlled rheometer with parallel-plates geometry. At small pressure (normal strain 1.4-3.6%), the flat surface gel showed a poor reproducibility in friction. In contrast, the gels with a surface roughness of 1-10 μm order showed well reproducible friction behaviors and their frictional stress was larger than that of the flat surface hydrogel. Furthermore, the flat gel showed an elasto-hydrodynamic transition while the rough gels showed a monotonous decrease of friction with velocity. The difference between the flat surface and the rough surface diminished with the increase of the normal pressure. These phenomena are associated with the different contact behaviors of these soft hydrogels in liquid, as revealed by the observation of the interface using a confocal laser microscope.

Cold Gas-Sprayed Deposition of Metallic Coatings onto Ceramic Substrates Using Laser Surface Texturing Pre-treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Kromer, R.; Danlos, Y.; Costil, S.

2018-04-01

Cold spraying enables a variety of metals dense coatings onto metal surfaces. Supersonic gas jet accelerates particles which undergo with the substrate plastic deformation. Different bonding mechanisms can be created depending on the materials. The particle-substrate contact time, contact temperature and contact area upon impact are the parameters influencing physicochemical and mechanical bonds. The resultant bonding arose from plastic deformation of the particle and substrate and temperature increasing at the interface. The objective was to create specific topography to enable metallic particle adhesion onto ceramic substrates. Ceramic did not demonstrate deformation during the impact which minimized the intimate bonds. Laser surface texturing was hence used as prior surface treatment to create specific topography and to enable mechanical anchoring. Particle compressive states were necessary to build up coating. The coating deposition efficiency and adhesion strength were evaluated. Textured surface is required to obtain strong adhesion of metallic coatings onto ceramic substrates. Consequently, cold spray coating parameters depend on the target material and a methodology was established with particle parameters (diameters, velocities, temperatures) and particle/substrate properties to adapt the surface topography. Laser surface texturing is a promising tool to increase the cold spraying applications.

Power electronics substrate for direct substrate cooling

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Khiet [Mission Viejo, CA; Ward, Terence G [Redondo Beach, CA; Mann, Brooks S [Redondo Beach, CA; Yankoski, Edward P [Corona, CA; Smith, Gregory S [Woodland Hills, CA

2012-05-01

Systems and apparatus are provided for power electronics substrates adapted for direct substrate cooling. A power electronics substrate comprises a first surface configured to have electrical circuitry disposed thereon, a second surface, and a plurality of physical features on the second surface. The physical features are configured to promote a turbulent boundary layer in a coolant impinged upon the second surface.

Orthogonal functionalization of nanoporous substrates: control of 3D surface functionality.

Science.gov (United States)

Lazzara, Thomas D; Kliesch, Torben-Tobias; Janshoff, Andreas; Steinem, Claudia

2011-04-01

Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes with aligned, cylindrical, nonintersecting pores were selectively functionalized in order to create dual-functionality substrates with different pore-rim and pore-interior surface functionalities, using silane chemistry. We used a two-step process involving an evaporated thin gold film to protect the underlying surface functionality of the pore rims. Subsequent treatment with oxygen plasma of the modified AAO membrane removed the unprotected organic functional groups, i.e., the pore-interior surface. After gold removal, the substrate became optically transparent, and displayed two distinct surface functionalities, one at the pore-rim surface and another at the pore-interior surface. We achieved a selective hydrophobic functionalization with dodecyl-trichlorosilane of either the pore rims or the pore interiors. The deposition of planar lipid membranes on the functionalized areas by addition of small unilamellar vesicles occurred in a predetermined fashion. Small unilamellar vesicles only ruptured upon contact with the hydrophobic substrate regions forming solid supported hybrid bilayers. In addition, pore-rim functionalization with dodecyl-trichlorosilane allowed the formation of pore-spanning hybrid lipid membranes as a result of giant unilamellar vesicle rupture. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was employed to identify the selective spatial localization of the adsorbed fluorescently labeled lipids. The corresponding increase in the AAO refractive index due to lipid adsorption on the hydrophobic regions was monitored by optical waveguide spectroscopy. This simple orthogonal functionalization route is a promising method to control the three-dimensional surface functionality of nanoporous films. © 2011 American Chemical Society

Catalyst free growth of CNTs by CVD on nanoscale rough surfaces of silicon substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Damodar, D.; Sahoo, R. K.; Jacob, C.

2013-06-01

Catalyst free growth of carbon nanotubes (CNT) has been achieved using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) on surface modified Si(111) substrates. The effect of the substrate surface has been observed by partially etching with KOH (potassium hydroxide) solution which is an anisotropic etchant. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the formation of CNTs over most of the area of the substrate where substrates were anisotropically etched. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to observe the internal structure of the CNTs. Raman spectroscopy further confirmed the formation of the carbon nanostructures and also their graphitic crystallinity.

Method for producing textured substrates for thin-film photovoltaic cells

Science.gov (United States)

Lauf, Robert J.

1994-01-01

The invention pertains to the production of ceramic substrates used in the manufacture of thin-film photovoltaic cells used for directly converting solar energy to electrical energy. Elongated ribbon-like sheets of substrate precursor containing a mixture of ceramic particulates, a binder, and a plasticizer are formed and then while green provided with a mechanically textured surface region used for supporting the thin film semiconductor of the photovoltaic cell when the sheets of the substrate precursor are subsequently cut into substrate-sized shapes and then sintered. The textured surface pattern on the substrate provides enhanced light trapping and collection for substantially increasing the solar energy conversion efficiency of thin-film photovoltaic cells.

Topography evolution of rough-surface metallic substrates by solution deposition planarization method

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Jingyuan; Zhao, Yue; Liu, Linfei; Wu, Wei; Zhang, Zhiwei; Hong, Zhiyong; Li, Yijie; Jin, Zhijian

2018-01-01

As an emerging technique for surface smoothing, solution deposition planarization (SDP) has recently drawn more attention on the fabrication of the second generation high temperature superconducting (2G-HTS) tapes. In our work, a number of amorphous oxide layers were deposited on electro-polished or mirror-rolled metallic substrates by chemical solution route. Topography evolution of surface defects on these two types of metallic substrates was thoroughly investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was showed that root mean square roughness values (at 50 × 50 μm2 scanning scale) on both rough substrates reduced to ∼5 nm after coating with SDP-layer. The smoothing effect was mainly attributed to decrease of the depth at grain boundary grooving on the electro-polished metallic substrate. On the mirror-rolled metallic substrates, the amplitude and frequency of the height fluctuation perpendicular to the rolling direction were gradually reduced as depositing more numbers of SDP-layer. A high Jc value of 4.17 MA cm-2 (at 77 K, s.f.) was achieved on a full stack of YBCO/CeO2/IBAD-MgO/SDP-layer/C276 sample. This study enhanced understanding of the topography evolution on the surface defects covered by the SDP-layer, and demonstrated a low-cost route for fabricating IBAD-MgO based YBCO templates with a simplified architecture.

Vitreous carbon mask substrate for X-ray lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Aigeldinger, Georg [Livermore, CA; Skala, Dawn M [Fremont, CA; Griffiths, Stewart K [Livermore, CA; Talin, Albert Alec [Livermore, CA; Losey, Matthew W [Livermore, CA; Yang, Chu-Yeu Peter [Dublin, CA

2009-10-27

The present invention is directed to the use of vitreous carbon as a substrate material for providing masks for X-ray lithography. The new substrate also enables a small thickness of the mask absorber used to pattern the resist, and this enables improved mask accuracy. An alternative embodiment comprised the use of vitreous carbon as a LIGA substrate wherein the VC wafer blank is etched in a reactive ion plasma after which an X-ray resist is bonded. This surface treatment provides a surface enabling good adhesion of the X-ray photoresist and subsequent nucleation and adhesion of the electrodeposited metal for LIGA mold-making while the VC substrate practically eliminates secondary radiation effects that lead to delamination of the X-ray resist form the substrate, the loss of isolated resist features, and the formation of a resist layer adjacent to the substrate that is insoluble in the developer.

Control of Alq3 wetting layer thickness via substrate surface functionalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsoi, Shufen; Szeto, Bryan; Fleischauer, Michael D; Veinot, Jonathan G C; Brett, Michael J

2007-06-05

The effects of substrate surface energy and vapor deposition rate on the initial growth of porous columnar tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3) nanostructures were investigated. Alq3 nanostructures thermally evaporated onto as-supplied Si substrates bearing an oxide were observed to form a solid wetting layer, likely caused by an interfacial energy mismatch between the substrate and Alq3. Wetting layer thickness control is important for potential optoelectronic applications. A dramatic decrease in wetting layer thickness was achieved by depositing Alq3 onto alkyltrichlorosilane-derivatized Si/oxide substrates. Similar effects were noted with increasing deposition rates. These two effects enable tailoring of the wetting layer thickness.

Studying substrate effects on localized surface plasmons in an individual silver nanoparticle using electron energy-loss spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fujiyoshi, Yoshifumi; Nemoto, Takashi; Kurata, Hiroki, E-mail: kurata@eels.kuicr.kyoto-u.ac.jp

2017-04-15

In this study, electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) in conjunction with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) was used to investigate surface plasmons in a single silver nanoparticle (NP) on a magnesium oxide substrate, employing an incident electron trajectory parallel to the substrate surface. This parallel irradiation allowed a direct exploration of the substrate effects on localized surface plasmon (LSP) excitations as a function of the distance from the substrate. The presence of the substrate was found to lower the symmetry of the system, such that the resonance energies of LSPs were dependent on the polarization direction relative to the substrate surface. The resulting mode splitting could be detected by applying different electron trajectories, providing results similar to those previously obtained from optical studies using polarized light. However, the LSP maps obtained by STEM-EELS analysis show an asymmetric intensity distribution with the highest intensity at the top surface of the NP (that is, far from the substrate), a result that is not predicted by optical simulations. We show that modifications of the applied electric field by the substrate cause this asymmetric intensity distribution in the LSP maps.

Experimental and Numerical Study of the Influence of Substrate Surface Preparation on Adhesion Mechanisms of Aluminum Cold Spray Coatings on 300M Steel Substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Nastic, A.; Vijay, M.; Tieu, A.; Rahmati, S.; Jodoin, B.

2017-10-01

The effect of substrate surface topography on the creation of metallurgical bonds and mechanical anchoring points has been studied for the cold spray deposition of pure aluminum on 300M steel substrate material. The coatings adhesion strength showed a significant decrease from 31.0 ± 5.7 MPa on polished substrates to 6.9 ± 2.0 MPa for substrates with roughness of 2.2 ± 0.5 μm. Strengths in the vicinity of 45 MPa were reached for coatings deposited onto forced pulsed waterjet treated surfaces with roughnesses larger than 33.8 μm. Finite element analysis has confirmed the sole presence of mechanical anchoring in coating adhesion strength for all surface treatment except polished surfaces. Grit embedment has been shown to be non-detrimental to coating adhesion for the current deposited material combination. The particle deformation process during impacts has been studied through finite element analysis using the Preston-Tonks-Wallace (PTW) constitutive model. The obtained equivalent plastic strain (PEEQ), temperature, contact pressure and velocity vector were correlated to the particle ability to form metallurgical bonds. Favorable conditions for metallurgical bonding were found to be highest for particles deposited on polished substrates, as confirmed by fracture surface analysis.

Surface plasmon enhanced SWIR absorption at the ultra n-doped substrate/PbSe nanostructure layer interface

Science.gov (United States)

Wittenberg, Vladimir; Rosenblit, Michael; Sarusi, Gabby

2017-08-01

This work presents simulation results of the plasmon enhanced absorption that can be achieved in the short wavelength infrared (SWIR - 1200 nm to 1800 nm) spectral range at the interface between ultra-heavily doped substrates and a PbSe nanostructure non-epitaxial growth absorbing layer. The absorption enhancement simulated in this study is due to surface plasmon polariton (SPP) excitation at the interface between these ultra-heavily n-doped GaAs or GaN substrates, which are nearly semimetals to SWIR light, and an absorption layer made of PbSe nano-spheres or nano-columns. The ultra-heavily doped GaAs or GaN substrates are simulated as examples, based on the Drude-Lorentz permittivity model. In the simulation, the substrates and the absorption layer were patterned jointly to forma blazed lattice, and then were back-illuminated using SWIR with a central wavelength of 1500 nm. The maximal field enhancement achieved was 17.4 with a penetration depth of 40 nm. Thus, such architecture of an ultra-heavily doped semiconductor and infrared absorbing layer can further increase the absorption due to the plasmonic enhanced absorption effect in the SWIR spectral band without the need to use a metallic layer as in the case of visible light.

Surface treatment of glass substrates for the preparation of long-lived carbon stripper foils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeuchi, Suehiro; Takekoshi, Eiko

1981-02-01

Glass substrates having uniformly distributed microscopic grains on the surfaces are useful to make long-lived carbon stripper foils for heavy ions. A method of surface treatment of glass substrates to form the surface structure is described. This method consists of precipitation of glass components, such as soda, onto the surfaces in a hot and humid atmosphere and a fogging treatment of forming microscopic grains of the precipitated substances. Some results of studies on the treatment conditions are also presented. (author)

Delayed frost formation on hybrid nanostructured surfaces with patterned high wetting contrast

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Youmin; Zhou, Peng; Yao, Shuhuai

2014-11-01

Engineering icephobic surfaces that can retard the frost formation and accumulation are important to vehicles, wind turbines, power lines, and HVAC systems. For condensation frosting, superhydrophobic surfaces promote self-removal of condensed droplets before freezing and consequently delay the frost growth. However, a small thermal fluctuation may lead to a Cassie-to-Wenzel transition, and thus dramatically enhance the frost formation and adhesion. In this work, we investigated the heterogeneous ice nucleation on hybrid nanostructured surfaces with patterned high wetting contrast. By judiciously introducing hydrophilic micro-patches into superhydrophobic nanostructured surface, we demonstrated that such a novel hybrid structure can efficiently defer the ice nucleation as compared to a superhydrophobic surface with nanostructures only. We observed efficient droplet jumping and higher coverage of droplets with diameter smaller than 10 μm, both of which suppress frost formation. The hybrid surface avoids the formation of liquid-bridges for Cassie-to-Wenzel transition, therefore eliminating the `bottom-up' droplet freezing from the cold substrate. These findings provide new insights to improve anti-frosting and anti-icing by using heterogeneous wettability in multiscale structures.

Ordered GeSi nanorings grown on patterned Si (001 substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma Yingjie

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract An easy approach to fabricate ordered pattern using nanosphere lithography and reactive iron etching technology was demonstrated. Long-range ordered GeSi nanorings with 430 nm period were grown on patterned Si (001 substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The size and shape of rings were closely associated with the size of capped GeSi quantum dots and the Si capping processes. Statistical analysis on the lateral size distribution shows that the high growth temperature and the long-term annealing can improve the uniformity of nanorings. PACS code1·PACS code2·more Mathematics Subject Classification (2000 MSC code1·MSC code2·more

Improvement of organic solar cells by flexible substrate and ITO surface treatments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, Yuang-Tung; Ho, Jyh-Jier; Wang, Chien-Kun; Lee, William; Lu, Chih-Chiang; Yau, Bao-Shun; Nain, Jhen-Liang; Chang, Shun-Hsyung; Chang, Chiu-Cheng; Wang, Kang L.

2010-01-01

In this paper, surface treatments on polyethylene terephthalate with polymeric hard coating (PET-HC) substrates are described. The effect of the contact angle on the treatment is first investigated. It has been observed that detergent is quite effective in removing organic contamination on the flexible PET-HC substrates. Next, using a DC-reactive magnetron sputter, indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films of 90 nm are grown on a substrate treated by detergent. Then, various ITO surface treatments are made for improving the performance of the finally developed organic solar cells with structure Al/P3HT:PCBM/PEDOT:PSS/ITO/PET. It is found that the parameters of the ITO including resistivity, carrier concentration, transmittance, surface morphology, and work function depended on the surface treatments and significantly influence the solar cell performance. With the optimal conditions for detergent treatment on flexible PET substrates, the ITO film with a resistivity of 5.6 x 10 -4 Ω cm and average optical transmittance of 84.1% in the visible region are obtained. The optimal ITO surface treated by detergent for 5 min and then by UV ozone for 20 min exhibits the best WF value of 5.22 eV. This improves about 8.30% in the WF compared with that of the untreated ITO film. In the case of optimal treatment with the organic photovoltaic device, meanwhile, 36.6% enhancement in short circuit current density (J sc ) and 92.7% enhancement in conversion efficiency (η) over the untreated solar cell are obtained.

Low profile conformal antenna arrays on high impedance substrate

CERN Document Server

Singh, Hema; Jha, Rakesh Mohan

2016-01-01

This book presents electromagnetic (EM) design and analysis of dipole antenna array over high impedance substrate (HIS). HIS is a preferred substrate for low-profile antenna design, owing to its unique boundary conditions. Such substrates permit radiating elements to be printed on them without any disturbance in the radiation characteristics. Moreover HIS provides improved impedance matching, enhanced bandwidth, and increased broadside directivity owing to total reflection from the reactive surface and high input impedance. This book considers different configurations of HIS for array design on planar and non-planar high-impedance surfaces. Results are presented for cylindrical dipole, printed dipole, and folded dipole over single- and double-layered square-patch-based HIS and dogbone-based HIS. The performance of antenna arrays is analyzed in terms of performance parameters such as return loss and radiation pattern. The design presented shows acceptable return loss and mainlobe gain of radiation pattern. Thi...

Design of patterned sapphire substrates for GaN-based light-emitting diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hai-Yan; Lin Zhi-Ting; Han Jing-Lei; Zhong Li-Yi; Li Guo-Qiang

2015-01-01

A new method for patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) design is developed and proven to be reliable and cost-effective. As progress is made with LEDs’ luminous efficiency, the pattern units of PSS become more complicated, and the effect of complicated geometrical features is almost impossible to study systematically by experiments only. By employing our new method, the influence of pattern parameters can be systematically studied, and various novel patterns are designed and optimized within a reasonable time span, with great improvement in LEDs’ light extraction efficiency (LEE). Clearly, PSS pattern design with such a method deserves particular attention. We foresee that GaN-based LEDs on these newly designed PSSs will achieve more progress in the coming years. (topical review)

Global patterns and substrate-based mechanisms of the terrestrial nitrogen cycle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Niu, Shuli; Classen, Aimee Taylor; Dukes, Jeffrey S.

2016-01-01

availability but increase exponentially and become the dominant fate of N at high loading rates. The original N saturation hypothesis emphasises sequential N saturation from plant uptake to soil retention before N losses occur. However, biogeochemical models that simulate simultaneous competition for soil N...... substrates by multiple processes match the observed patterns of N losses better than models based on sequential competition. To enable better prediction of terrestrial N cycle responses to N loading, we recommend that future research identifies the response functions of different N processes to substrate...

Substrate Curvature Regulates Cell Migration -A Computational Study

Science.gov (United States)

He, Xiuxiu; Jiang, Yi

Cell migration in host microenvironment is essential to cancer etiology, progression and metastasis. Cellular processes of adhesion, cytoskeletal polymerization, contraction, and matrix remodeling act in concert to regulate cell migration, while local extracellular matrix architecture modulate these processes. In this work we study how stromal microenvironment with native and cell-derived curvature at micron-meter scale regulate cell motility pattern. We developed a 3D model of single cell migration on a curved substrate. Mathematical analysis of cell morphological adaption to the cell-substrate interface shows that cell migration on convex surfaces deforms more than on concave surfaces. Both analytical and simulation results show that curved surfaces regulate the cell motile force for cell's protruding front through force balance with focal adhesion and cell contraction. We also found that cell migration on concave substrates is more persistent. These results offer a novel biomechanical explanation to substrate curvature regulation of cell migration. NIH 1U01CA143069.

Nanowire surface fastener fabrication on flexible substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Toku, Yuhki; Uchida, Keita; Morita, Yasuyuki; Ju, Yang

2018-07-01

The market for wearable devices has increased considerably in recent years. In response to this demand, flexible electronic circuit technology has become more important. The conventional bonding technology in electronic assembly depends on high-temperature processes such as reflow soldering, which result in undesired thermal damages and residual stress at a bonding interface. In addition, it exhibits poor compatibility with bendable or stretchable device applications. Therefore, there is an urgent requirement to attach electronic parts on printed circuit boards with good mechanical and electrical properties at room temperature. Nanowire surface fasteners (NSFs) are candidates for resolving these problems. This paper describes the fabrication of an NSF on a flexible substrate, which can be used for room temperature conductive bonding. The template method is used for preparing high-density nanowire arrays. A Cu thin film is layered on the template as the flexible substrate. After etching the template, a Cu NSF is obtained on the Cu film substrate. In addition, the electrical and mechanical properties of the Cu NSF are studied under various fabrication conditions. The Cu NSF exhibits high shear adhesion strength (∼234 N cm‑2) and low contact resistivity (2.2 × 10‑4 Ω cm2).

Layer Dependence and Light Tuning Surface Potential of 2D MoS2 on Various Substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Feng; Qi, Junjie; Xu, Minxuan; Xiao, Jiankun; Xu, Yuliang; Zhang, Xiankun; Liu, Shuo; Zhang, Yue

2017-04-01

Here surface potential of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grown 2D MoS 2 with various layers is reported, and the effect of adherent substrate and light illumination on surface potential of monolayer MoS 2 are investigated. The surface potential of MoS 2 on Si/SiO 2 substrate decreases from 4.93 to 4.84 eV with the increase in the number of layer from 1 to 4 or more. Especially, the surface potentials of monolayer MoS 2 are strongly dependent on its adherent substrate, which are determined to be 4.55, 4.88, 4.93, 5.10, and 5.50 eV on Ag, graphene, Si/SiO 2 , Au, and Pt substrates, respectively. Light irradiation is introduced to tuning the surface potential of monolayer MoS 2 , with the increase in light intensity, the surface potential of MoS 2 on Si/SiO 2 substrate decreases from 4.93 to 4.74 eV, while increases from 5.50 to 5.56 eV on Pt substrate. The I-V curves on vertical of monolayer MoS 2 /Pt heterojunction show the decrease in current with the increase of light intensity, and Schottky barrier height at MoS 2 /Pt junctions increases from 0.302 to 0.342 eV. The changed surface potential can be explained by trapped charges on surface, photoinduced carriers, charge transfer, and local electric field. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Silver-coated Si nanograss as highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tang, Jing; Kuo, Huei Pei; Hu, Min; Li, Zhiyong; Williams, R.S. [Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Information and Quantum Systems Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Ou, Fung Suong [Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Information and Quantum Systems Laboratory, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Rice University, Department of Applied Physics, Houston, TX (United States); Stickle, William F. [Hewlett-Packard Company, Advanced Diagnostic Lab, Corvallis, OR (United States)

2009-09-15

We created novel surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates by metalization (Ag) of Si nanograss prepared by a Bosch process which involves deep reactive ion etching of single crystalline silicon. No template or lithography was needed for making the Si nanograss, thus providing a simple and inexpensive method to achieve highly sensitive large-area SERS substrates. The dependence of the SERS effect on the thickness of the metal deposition and on the surface morphology and topology of the substrate prior to metal deposition was studied in order to optimize the SERS signals. We observed that the Ag-coated Si nanograss can achieve uniform SERS enhancement over large area ({proportional_to}1 cm x 1 cm) with an average EF (enhancement factor) of 4.2 x 10{sup 8} for 4-mercaptophenol probe molecules. (orig.)

Micro- and nano-surface structures based on vapor-deposited polymers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hsien-Yeh Chen

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Vapor-deposition processes and the resulting thin polymer films provide consistent coatings that decouple the underlying substrate surface properties and can be applied for surface modification regardless of the substrate material and geometry. Here, various ways to structure these vapor-deposited polymer thin films are described. Well-established and available photolithography and soft lithography techniques are widely performed for the creation of surface patterns and microstructures on coated substrates. However, because of the requirements for applying a photomask or an elastomeric stamp, these techniques are mostly limited to flat substrates. Attempts are also conducted to produce patterned structures on non-flat surfaces with various maskless methods such as light-directed patterning and direct-writing approaches. The limitations for patterning on non-flat surfaces are resolution and cost. With the requirement of chemical control and/or precise accessibility to the linkage with functional molecules, chemically and topographically defined interfaces have recently attracted considerable attention. The multifunctional, gradient, and/or synergistic activities of using such interfaces are also discussed. Finally, an emerging discovery of selective deposition of polymer coatings and the bottom-up patterning approach by using the selective deposition technology is demonstrated.

Soft liquid phase adsorption for fabrication of organic semiconductor films on wettability patterned surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, Satoshi; Akiyoshi, Yuri; Matsumoto, Mutsuyoshi

2014-01-01

We report a soft liquid-phase adsorption (SLPA) technique for the fabrication of organic semiconductor films on wettability-patterned substrates using toluene/water emulsions. Wettability-patterned substrates were obtained by the UV-ozone treatment of self-assembled monolayers of silane coupling agents on glass plates using a metal mask. Organic semiconductor polymer films were formed selectively on the hydrophobic part of the wettability-patterned substrates. The thickness of the films fabricated by the SLPA technique is significantly larger than that of the films fabricated by dip-coating and spin-coating techniques. The film thickness can be controlled by adjusting the volume ratio of toluene to water, immersion angle, immersion temperature, and immersion time. The SLPA technique allows for the direct production of organic semiconductor films on wettability-patterned substrates with minimized material consumption and reduced number of fabrication steps.

Thickness measurement of soft thin films on periodically patterned magnetic substrates by phase difference magnetic force microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Passeri, D; Dong, C; Angeloni, L; Pantanella, F; Natalizi, T; Berlutti, F; Marianecci, C; Ciccarello, F; Rossi, M

2014-01-01

The need for accurate measurement of the thickness of soft thin films is continuously encouraging the development of techniques suitable for this purpose. We propose a method through which the thickness of the film is deduced from the quantitative measurement of the contrast in the phase images of the sample surface acquired by magnetic force microscopy, provided that the film is deposited on a periodically patterned magnetic substrate. The technique is demonstrated by means of magnetic substrates obtained from standard floppy disks. Colonies of Staphylococcus aureus adherent to such substrates were used to obtain soft layers with limited lateral (a few microns) and vertical (hundreds of nanometers) size. The technique is described and its specific merits, limitations and potentialities in terms of accuracy and measurable thickness range are discussed. These parameters depend on the characteristics of the sensing tip/cantilever as well as of the substrates, the latter in terms of spatial period and homogeneity of the magnetic domains. In particular, with the substrates used in this work we evaluated an uncertainty of about 10%, a limit of detection of 50-100 nm and an upper detection limit (maximum measurable thickness) of 1 μm, all obtained with standard lift height values (50-100 nm). Nonetheless, these parameters can be easily optimized by selecting/realizing substrates with suitable spacing and homogeneity of the magnetic domains. For example, the upper detection limit can be increased up to 25-50 μm while the limit of detection can be reduced to a few tens of nanometers or a few nanometers. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The lateral In2O3 nanowires and pyramid networks manipulation by controlled substrate surface energy in annealing evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Shariati, Mohsen; Darjani, Mojtaba

2016-02-01

The continuous laterally aligned growth of In2O3 nanocrystal networks extended with nanowire and pyramid connections under annealing influence has been reported. These nanostructures have been grown on Si substrate by using oxygen-assisted annealing process through PVD growth technique. The formation of In2O3 nanocrystals has been achieved by the successive growth of critical self-nucleated condensation in three orientations. The preferred direction was the route between two pyramids especially in the smallest surface energy. The effects of substrate temperature in annealing process on the morphological properties of the as-grown nanostructures were investigated. The annealing technique showed that by controlling the surface energy, the morphology of structures was changed from unregulated array to defined nanostructures; especially nanowires 50 nm in width. The obtained nanostructures also were investigated by the (transmission electron microscopy) TEM, Raman spectrum and the (X-ray diffraction) XRD patterns. They indicated that the self-assembled In2O3 nanocrystal networks have been fabricated by the vapor-solid (VS) growth mechanism. The growth mechanism process was prompted to attribute the relationship among the kinetics parameters, surface diffusion and morphology of nanostructures.

Ultrasmooth, Polydopamine Modified Surfaces for Block Copolymer Nanopatterning on Inert and Flexible Substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Katsumata, Reika; Cho, Joon Hee; Zhou, Sunshine; Kim, Chae Bin; Dulaney, Austin; Janes, Dustin; Ellison, Christopher

Nature has engineered universal, catechol-containing adhesives that can be synthetically mimicked in the form of polydopamine (PDA). We exploited PDA to enable block copolymer (BCP) nanopatterning on a variety of soft material surfaces in a way that can potentially be applied to flexible electrical devices. Applying BCP nanopatterning to soft substrates is challenging because soft substrates are often chemically inert and possess incompatible low surface energies. In this study, we exploited PDA to enable the formation of BCP nanopatterns on a variety of surfaces such as Teflon, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and Kapton. While previous studies produced a PDA coating layer too rough for BCP nanopatterning, we succeeded in fabricating conformal and ultra-smooth surfaces of PDA by engineering the PDA coating process and post-sonication procedure. This chemically functionalized, biomimetic thin film (3 nm thick) served as a reactive platform for subsequently grafting a surface treatment to perpendicularly orient a lamellae-forming BCP layer. Furthermore, we demonstrated that a perfectly nanopatterned PDA-PET substrate can be bent without distorting or damaging the nanopattern in conditions that far exceeds typical bending curvatures in roll-to-roll manufacturing.

Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy detection of biomolecules using EBL fabricated nanostructured substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Peters, Robert F; Gutierrez-Rivera, Luis; Dew, Steven K; Stepanova, Maria

2015-03-20

Fabrication and characterization of conjugate nano-biological systems interfacing metallic nanostructures on solid supports with immobilized biomolecules is reported. The entire sequence of relevant experimental steps is described, involving the fabrication of nanostructured substrates using electron beam lithography, immobilization of biomolecules on the substrates, and their characterization utilizing surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Three different designs of nano-biological systems are employed, including protein A, glucose binding protein, and a dopamine binding DNA aptamer. In the latter two cases, the binding of respective ligands, D-glucose and dopamine, is also included. The three kinds of biomolecules are immobilized on nanostructured substrates by different methods, and the results of SERS imaging are reported. The capabilities of SERS to detect vibrational modes from surface-immobilized proteins, as well as to capture the protein-ligand and aptamer-ligand binding are demonstrated. The results also illustrate the influence of the surface nanostructure geometry, biomolecules immobilization strategy, Raman activity of the molecules and presence or absence of the ligand binding on the SERS spectra acquired.

Large area nano-patterning /writing on gold substrate using dip - pen nanolithography (DPN)

Science.gov (United States)

Saini, Sudhir Kumar; Vishwakarma, Amit; Agarwal, Pankaj B.; Pesala, Bala; Agarwal, Ajay

2014-10-01

Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN) is utilized to pattern large area (50μmX50μm) gold substrate for application in fabricating Nano-gratings. For Nano-writing 16-MHA ink coated AFM tip was prepared using double dipping procedure. Gold substrate is fabricated on thermally grown SiO2 substrate by depositing ˜5 nm titanium layer followed by ˜30nm gold using DC pulse sputtering. The gratings were designed using period of 800nm and 25% duty cycle. Acquired AFM images indicate that as the AFM tip proceeds for nano-writing, line width decreases from 190nm to 100nm. This occurs probably due to depreciation of 16-MHA molecules in AFM tip as writing proceeds.

Novel anti-reflection technology for GaAs single-junction solar cells using surface patterning and Au nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Youngjo; Lam, Nguyen Dinh; Kim, Kangho; Kim, Sangin; Rotermund, Fabian; Lim, Hanjo; Lee, Jaejin

2012-07-01

Single-junction GaAs solar cell structures were grown by low-pressure MOCVD on GaAs (100) substrates. Micro-rod arrays with diameters of 2 microm, 5 microm, and 10 microm were fabricated on the surfaces of the GaAs solar cells via photolithography and wet chemical etching. The patterned surfaces were coated with Au nanoparticles using an Au colloidal solution. Characteristics of the GaAs solar cells with and without the micro-rod arrays and Au nanoparticles were investigated. The short-circuit current density of the GaAs solar cell with 2 microm rod arrays and Au nanoparticles increased up to 34.9% compared to that of the reference cell without micro-rod arrays and Au nanoparticles. The conversion efficiency of the GaAs solar cell that was coated with Au nanoparticles on the patterned surface with micro-rod arrays can be improved from 14.1% to 19.9% under 1 sun AM 1.5G illumination. These results show that micro-rod arrays and Au nanoparticle coating can be applied together in surface patterning to achieve a novel cost-effective anti-reflection technology.

Highly reproducible surface-enhanced Raman scattering-active Au nanostructures prepared by simple electrodeposition: origin of surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity and applications as electrochemical substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Suhee; Ahn, Miri; Kim, Jongwon

2013-05-24

The fabrication of effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates has been the subject of intensive research because of their useful applications. In this paper, dendritic gold (Au) rod (DAR) structures prepared by simple one-step electrodeposition in a short time were examined as an effective SERS-active substrate. The SERS activity of the DAR surfaces was compared to that of other nanostructured Au surfaces with different morphologies, and its dependence on the structural variation of DAR structures was examined. These comparisonal investigations revealed that highly faceted sharp edge sites present on the DAR surfaces play a critical role in inducing a high SERS activity. The SERS enhancement factor was estimated to be greater than 10(5), and the detection limit of rhodamine 6G at DAR surfaces was 10(-8)M. The DAR surfaces exhibit excellent spot-to-spot and substrate-to-substrate SERS enhancement reproducibility, and their long-term stability is very good. It was also demonstrated that the DAR surfaces can be effectively utilized in electrochemical SERS systems, wherein a reversible SERS behavior was obtained during the cycling to cathodic potential regions. Considering the straightforward preparation of DAR substrates and the clean nature of SERS-active Au surfaces prepared in the absence of additives, we expect that DAR surfaces can be used as cost-effective SERS substrates in analytical and electrochemical applications. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of the side chain and substrate on polythiophene thin film surface, bulk, and buried interfacial structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Minyu; Jasensky, Joshua; Zhang, Xiaoxian; Li, Yaoxin; Pichan, Cayla; Lu, Xiaolin; Chen, Zhan

2016-08-10

The molecular structures of organic semiconducting thin films mediate the performance of various devices composed of such materials. To fully understand how the structures of organic semiconductors alter on substrates due to different polymer side chains and different interfacial interactions, thin films of two kinds of polythiophene derivatives with different side-chains, poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and poly(3-potassium-6-hexanoate thiophene) (P3KHT), were deposited and compared on various surfaces. A combination of analytical tools was applied in this research: contact angle goniometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize substrate dielectric surfaces with varied hydrophobicity for polymer film deposition; X-ray diffraction and UV-vis spectroscopy were used to examine the polythiophene film bulk structure; sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy was utilized to probe the molecular structures of polymer film surfaces in air and buried solid/solid interfaces. Both side-chain hydrophobicity and substrate hydrophobicity were found to mediate the crystallinity of the polythiophene film, as well as the orientation of the thiophene ring within the polymer backbone at the buried polymer/substrate interface and the polymer thin film surface in air. For the same type of polythiophene film deposited on different substrates, a more hydrophobic substrate surface induced thiophene ring alignment with the surface normal at both the buried interface and on the surface in air. For different films (P3HT vs. P3KHT) deposited on the same dielectric substrate, a more hydrophobic polythiophene side chain caused the thiophene ring to align more towards the surface at the buried polymer/substrate interface and on the surface in air. We believe that the polythiophene surface, bulk, and buried interfacial molecular structures all influence the hole mobility within the polythiophene film. Successful characterization of an organic conducting

The interplay between surface charging and microscale roughness during plasma etching of polymeric substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Memos, George; Lidorikis, Elefterios; Kokkoris, George

2018-02-01

The surface roughness developed during plasma etching of polymeric substrates is critical for a variety of applications related to the wetting behavior and the interaction of surfaces with cells. Toward the understanding and, ultimately, the manipulation of plasma induced surface roughness, the interplay between surface charging and microscale roughness of polymeric substrates is investigated by a modeling framework consisting of a surface charging module, a surface etching model, and a profile evolution module. The evolution of initially rough profiles during plasma etching is calculated by taking into account as well as by neglecting charging. It is revealed, on the one hand, that the surface charging contributes to the suppression of root mean square roughness and, on the other hand, that the decrease of the surface roughness induces a decrease of the charging potential. The effect of charging on roughness is intense when the etching yield depends solely on the ion energy, and it is mitigated when the etching yield additionally depends on the angle of ion incidence. The charging time, i.e., the time required for reaching a steady state charging potential, is found to depend on the thickness of the polymeric substrate, and it is calculated in the order of milliseconds.

Fabrication of graphene-based flexible devices utilizing a soft lithographic patterning method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wook Jung, Min; Myung, Sung; Woong Kim, Ki; Song, Wooseok; Suk Lee, Sun; Lim, Jongsun; An, Ki-Seok; Jo, You-Young; Park, Chong-Yun

2014-01-01

There has been considerable interest in soft lithographic patterning processing of large scale graphene sheets due to the low cost and simplicity of the patterning process along with the exceptional electrical or physical properties of graphene. These properties include an extremely high carrier mobility and excellent mechanical strength. Recently, a study has reported that single layer graphene grown via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was patterned and transferred to a target surface by controlling the surface energy of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamp. However, applications are limited because of the challenge of CVD-graphene functionalization for devices such as chemical or bio-sensors. In addition, graphene-based layers patterned with a micron scale width on the surface of biocompatible silk fibroin thin films, which are not suitable for conventional CMOS processes such as the patterning or etching of substrates, have yet to be reported. Herein, we developed a soft lithographic patterning process via surface energy modification for advanced graphene-based flexible devices such as transistors or chemical sensors. Using this approach, the surface of a relief-patterned elastomeric stamp was functionalized with hydrophilic dimethylsulfoxide molecules to enhance the surface energy of the stamp and to remove the graphene-based layer from the initial substrate and transfer it to a target surface. As a proof of concept using this soft lithographic patterning technique, we demonstrated a simple and efficient chemical sensor consisting of reduced graphene oxide and a metallic nanoparticle composite. A flexible graphene-based device on a biocompatible silk fibroin substrate, which is attachable to an arbitrary target surface, was also successfully fabricated. Briefly, a soft lithographic patterning process via surface energy modification was developed for advanced graphene-based flexible devices such as transistors or chemical sensors and attachable devices on a

Fabrication of graphene-based flexible devices utilizing a soft lithographic patterning method

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Min Wook; Myung, Sung; Kim, Ki Woong; Song, Wooseok; Jo, You-Young; Lee, Sun Suk; Lim, Jongsun; Park, Chong-Yun; An, Ki-Seok

2014-07-01

There has been considerable interest in soft lithographic patterning processing of large scale graphene sheets due to the low cost and simplicity of the patterning process along with the exceptional electrical or physical properties of graphene. These properties include an extremely high carrier mobility and excellent mechanical strength. Recently, a study has reported that single layer graphene grown via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was patterned and transferred to a target surface by controlling the surface energy of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamp. However, applications are limited because of the challenge of CVD-graphene functionalization for devices such as chemical or bio-sensors. In addition, graphene-based layers patterned with a micron scale width on the surface of biocompatible silk fibroin thin films, which are not suitable for conventional CMOS processes such as the patterning or etching of substrates, have yet to be reported. Herein, we developed a soft lithographic patterning process via surface energy modification for advanced graphene-based flexible devices such as transistors or chemical sensors. Using this approach, the surface of a relief-patterned elastomeric stamp was functionalized with hydrophilic dimethylsulfoxide molecules to enhance the surface energy of the stamp and to remove the graphene-based layer from the initial substrate and transfer it to a target surface. As a proof of concept using this soft lithographic patterning technique, we demonstrated a simple and efficient chemical sensor consisting of reduced graphene oxide and a metallic nanoparticle composite. A flexible graphene-based device on a biocompatible silk fibroin substrate, which is attachable to an arbitrary target surface, was also successfully fabricated. Briefly, a soft lithographic patterning process via surface energy modification was developed for advanced graphene-based flexible devices such as transistors or chemical sensors and attachable devices on a

Surface treatment effect on Si (111) substrate for carbon deposition using DC unbalanced magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aji, A. S., E-mail: aji.ravazes70@gmail.com; Sahdan, M. F.; Hendra, I. B.; Dinari, P.; Darma, Y. [Quantum Semiconductor and Devices Lab., Physics of Material Electronics Research Division, Department of Physics, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia)

2015-04-16

In this work, we studied the effect of HF treatment in silicon (111) substrate surface for depositing thin layer carbon. We performed the deposition of carbon by using DC Unbalanced Magnetron Sputtering with carbon pallet (5% Fe) as target. From SEM characterization results it can be concluded that the carbon layer on HF treated substrate is more uniform than on substrate without treated. Carbon deposition rate is higher as confirmed by AFM results if the silicon substrate is treated by HF solution. EDAX characterization results tell that silicon (111) substrate with HF treatment have more carbon fraction than substrate without treatment. These results confirmed that HF treatment on silicon Si (111) substrates could enhance the carbon deposition by using DC sputtering. Afterward, the carbon atomic arrangement on silicon (111) surface is studied by performing thermal annealing process to 900 °C. From Raman spectroscopy results, thin film carbon is not changing until 600 °C thermal budged. But, when temperature increase to 900 °C, thin film carbon is starting to diffuse to silicon (111) substrates.

Direct growth and patterning of multilayer graphene onto a targeted substrate without an external carbon source.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Dongseok; Kim, Won-Jun; Lim, Jung Ah; Song, Yong-Won

2012-07-25

Using only a simple tube furnace, we demonstrate the synthesis of patterned graphene directly on a designed substrate without the need for an external carbon source. Carbon atoms are absorbed onto Ni evaporator sources as impurities, and incorporated into catalyst layers during the deposition. Heat treatment conditions were optimized so that the atoms diffused out along the grain boundaries to form nanocrystals at the catalyst-substrate interfaces. Graphene patterns were obtained under patterned catalysts, which restricted graphene formation to within patterned areas. The resultant multilayer graphene was characterized by Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy to verify the high crystallinity and two-dimensional nanomorphology. Finally, a metal-semiconductor diode with a catalyst-graphene contact structure were fabricated and characterized to assess the semiconducting properties of the graphene sheets with respect to the display of asymmetric current-voltage behavior.

Surface-engineered substrates for improved human pluripotent stem cell culture under fully defined conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, Krishanu; Mei, Ying; Reisterer, Colin M; Pyzocha, Neena Kenton; Yang, Jing; Muffat, Julien; Davies, Martyn C; Alexander, Morgan R; Langer, Robert; Anderson, Daniel G; Jaenisch, Rudolf

2011-11-15

The current gold standard for the culture of human pluripotent stem cells requires the use of a feeder layer of cells. Here, we develop a spatially defined culture system based on UV/ozone radiation modification of typical cell culture plastics to define a favorable surface environment for human pluripotent stem cell culture. Chemical and geometrical optimization of the surfaces enables control of early cell aggregation from fully dissociated cells, as predicted from a numerical model of cell migration, and results in significant increases in cell growth of undifferentiated cells. These chemically defined xeno-free substrates generate more than three times the number of cells than feeder-containing substrates per surface area. Further, reprogramming and typical gene-targeting protocols can be readily performed on these engineered surfaces. These substrates provide an attractive cell culture platform for the production of clinically relevant factor-free reprogrammed cells from patient tissue samples and facilitate the definition of standardized scale-up friendly methods for disease modeling and cell therapeutic applications.

Substrate induced ordering of molecular adsorbates on Au(111)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schott, J.H.; White, H.S.; Arana, C.R.

1992-01-01

Using scanning tunneling microscopy in dimethylformate, [Ru(bpy) 2 (bpy-(CH 2 ) x -bpy) 2+ ] (x = 4 and 5) monolayers adsorbed on the unreconstructed and √3 x 22 reconstructed surfaces of Au(111) were imaged in this paper. The substrate had a highly ordered pattern on the reconstructed surface, but random spatial distribution on the unreconstructed surface. 17 refs., 3 figs

Sensitive Detection of Biomolecules by Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering using Plant Leaves as Natural Substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharma Vipul

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Detection of biomolecules is highly important for biomedical and other biological applications. Although several methods exist for the detection of biomolecules, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS has a unique role in greatly enhancing the sensitivity. In this work, we have demonstrated the use of natural plant leaves as facile, low cost and eco-friendly SERS substrates for the sensitive detection of biomolecules. Specifically, we have investigated the influence of surface topography of five different plant leaf based substrates, deposited with Au, on the SERS performance by using L-cysteine as a model biomolecule. In addition, we have also compared the effect of sputter deposition of Au thin film with dropcast deposition of Au nanoparticles on the leaf substrates. Our results indicate that L-cysteine could be detected with high sensitivity using these plant leaf based substrates and the leaf possessing hierarchical micro/nanostructures on its surface shows higher SERS enhancement compared to a leaf having a nearplanar surface. Furthermore, leaves with drop-casted Au nanoparticle clusters performed better than the leaves sputter deposited with a thin Au film.

AFM imaging and fractal analysis of surface roughness of AlN epilayers on sapphire substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dallaeva, Dinara, E-mail: dinara.dallaeva@yandex.ru [Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication, Physics Department, Technická 8, 616 00 Brno (Czech Republic); Ţălu, Ştefan [Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of AET, Discipline of Descriptive Geometry and Engineering Graphics, 103-105 B-dul Muncii Street, Cluj-Napoca 400641, Cluj (Romania); Stach, Sebastian [University of Silesia, Faculty of Computer Science and Materials Science, Institute of Informatics, Department of Biomedical Computer Systems, ul. Będzińska 39, 41-205 Sosnowiec (Poland); Škarvada, Pavel; Tománek, Pavel; Grmela, Lubomír [Brno University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication, Physics Department, Technická 8, 616 00 Brno (Czech Republic)

2014-09-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We determined the complexity of 3D surface roughness of aluminum nitride layers. • We used atomic force microscopy and analyzed their fractal geometry. • We determined the fractal dimension of surface roughness of aluminum nitride layers. • We determined the dependence of layer morphology on substrate temperature. - Abstract: The paper deals with AFM imaging and characterization of 3D surface morphology of aluminum nitride (AlN) epilayers on sapphire substrates prepared by magnetron sputtering. Due to the effect of temperature changes on epilayer's surface during the fabrication, a surface morphology is studied by combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and fractal analysis methods. Both methods are useful tools that may assist manufacturers in developing and fabricating AlN thin films with optimal surface characteristics. Furthermore, they provide different yet complementary information to that offered by traditional surface statistical parameters. This combination is used for the first time for measurement on AlN epilayers on sapphire substrates, and provides the overall 3D morphology of the sample surfaces (by AFM imaging), and reveals fractal characteristics in the surface morphology (fractal analysis)

X-ray Multilayers and Thin-Shell Substrate Surface-Figure Correction

Science.gov (United States)

Windt, David

We propose a comprehensive experimental research program whose two main goals are (a) to improve the performance of hard X-ray multilayer coatings and (b) to develop a high-throughput method to correct mid-frequency surface errors in thin-shell mirror substrates. Achieving these goals will enable the cost-effective construction of light- weight, highly-nested X-ray telescopes having greater observational sensitivity, wider energy coverage, and higher angular resolution than can be achieved at present. The realization of this technology will thus benefit the development of a variety of Explorer- class NASA X-ray astronomy missions now being formulated for both the soft and hard X-ray bands, and will enable the construction of future facility-class X-ray missions that will require both high sensitivity and high resolution. Building on the success of our previous APRA-funded research, we plan to investigate new thin-film growth techniques, new materials, and new aperiodic coating designs in order to develop new hard X-ray multilayers that have higher X-ray reflectance, wider energy response, lower film stress, and good stability, and that can be produced more quickly, at reduced cost. Additionally, we propose to build upon our extensive experience in sub-nm film-thickness control using velocity modulation and masked deposition techniques, and in the recent development of low-roughness, low-stress films grown by reactive sputtering, in order to develop new methods for correcting mid-frequency surface errors in thin-shell mirror substrates using both differential deposition and ion-beam figuring, either alone or in combination. These two surface-correction techniques already being used for sub-nm figuring of precision optics in a variety of disciplines, including diffraction-limited EUV lithography and synchrotron applications requiring sub-micron focusing are ideally suited for controlling mm-scale surface errors in the thin-shell substrates used for astronomical X

Directed assembly of functional light harvesting antenna complexes onto chemically patterned surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escalante, Maryana; Maury, Pascale; Bruinink, Christiaan M; Werf, Kees van der; Olsen, John D; Timney, John A; Huskens, Jurriaan; Hunter, C Neil; Subramaniam, Vinod; Otto, Cees

2008-01-01

We report the directed assembly of the photosynthetic membrane proteins LH1 and LH2 isolated from the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides onto chemically patterned substrates. Nanoimprint lithography was used to pattern discrete regions of amino- and fluoro-terminated or poly(ethylene glycol) self-assembled monolayers onto a glass substrate. Densely packed layers of assembled protein complexes were observed with atomic force microscopy. The protein complexes attached selectively to the amino-terminated regions by electrostatic interactions. Spectral images generated with a hybrid scanning probe and fluorescence microscope confirmed that the patterned proteins retained their native optical signatures

Directed assembly of functional light harvesting antenna complexes onto chemically patterned surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Escalante, Maryana [Biophysical Engineering Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Maury, Pascale [Molecular Nanofabrication Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Bruinink, Christiaan M [Molecular Nanofabrication Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Werf, Kees van der [Biophysical Engineering Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Olsen, John D [Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN (United Kingdom); Timney, John A [Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN (United Kingdom); Huskens, Jurriaan [Molecular Nanofabrication Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Hunter, C Neil [Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN (United Kingdom); Subramaniam, Vinod [Biophysical Engineering Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Otto, Cees [Biophysical Engineering Group, MESA and Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands)

2008-01-16

We report the directed assembly of the photosynthetic membrane proteins LH1 and LH2 isolated from the purple bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides onto chemically patterned substrates. Nanoimprint lithography was used to pattern discrete regions of amino- and fluoro-terminated or poly(ethylene glycol) self-assembled monolayers onto a glass substrate. Densely packed layers of assembled protein complexes were observed with atomic force microscopy. The protein complexes attached selectively to the amino-terminated regions by electrostatic interactions. Spectral images generated with a hybrid scanning probe and fluorescence microscope confirmed that the patterned proteins retained their native optical signatures.

Influence of Surface Roughness and Agitation on the Morphology of Magnetite Films Electrodeposited on Carbon Steel Substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soon-Hyeok Jeon

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In this work, we investigated the effects of surface roughness and agitation on the morphology of magnetite films electrodeposited from alkaline Fe(III-triethanolamine (TEA solutions on carbon steel substrates. The surface roughness of the carbon steel substrates was maintained in the range of 1.64–0.06 μm by using mechanical grinding and polishing methods. The agitation speed was set at 0 and 900 rpm during the electrodeposition process. The particle size and surface roughness value of the magnetite films gradually decreased with decreasing substrate roughness. However, the influence of the substrate roughness on the thickness of the magnetite film was negligible. The morphology of the magnetite film fabricated at 900 rpm appeared to be highly faceted compared to that of the magnetite film produced at 0 rpm. The thickness and surface roughness of the magnetite film significantly increased with the agitation speed, which also significantly affected the electrodeposition efficiency. The effects of substrate surface roughness and agitation on the morphology of magnetite films electrodeposited on carbon steel substrates were also discussed. The obtained results provide critical information for the simulation of magnetite deposits on carbon steel pipes in the secondary systems of nuclear power plants.

Characteristics of InGaN-Based Light-Emitting Diodes on Patterned Sapphire Substrates with Various Pattern Heights

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheng-Fu Yu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The optical and electrical characteristics of InGaN-based blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs grown on patterned sapphire substrates (PSSs with different pattern heights and on planar sapphire by atmospheric-pressure metal-organic chemical vapor deposition were investigated. Compared with planar sapphire, it was found that the LED electroluminescence intensity is significantly enhanced on PSSs with pattern heights of 0.5 (21%, 1.1 (57%, 1.5 (81%, and 1.9 (91% μm at an injected current of 20 mA. The increased light intensity exhibits the same trend in a TracePro simulation. In addition, it was also found that the level of leakage current depends on the density of V-shape defects, which were measured by scanning electron microscopy.

Self-Assembled Nanocube-Based Plasmene Nanosheets as Soft Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrates toward Direct Quantitative Drug Identification on Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Si, Kae Jye; Guo, Pengzhen; Shi, Qianqian; Cheng, Wenlong

2015-05-19

We report on self-assembled nanocube-based plasmene nanosheets as new surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates toward direct identification of a trace amount of drugs sitting on topologically complex real-world surfaces. The uniform nanocube arrays (superlattices) led to low spatial SERS signal variances (∼2%). Unlike conventional SERS substrates which are based on rigid nanostructured metals, our plasmene nanosheets are mechanically soft and optically semitransparent, enabling conformal attachment to real-world solid surfaces such as banknotes for direct SERS identification of drugs. Our plasmene nanosheets were able to detect benzocaine overdose down to a parts-per-billion (ppb) level with an excellent linear relationship (R(2) > 0.99) between characteristic peak intensity and concentration. On banknote surfaces, a detection limit of ∼0.9 × 10(-6) g/cm(2) benzocaine could be achieved. Furthermore, a few other drugs could also be identified, even in their binary mixtures with our plasmene nanosheets. Our experimental results clearly show that our plasmene sheets represent a new class of unique SERS substrates, potentially serving as a versatile platform for real-world forensic drug identification.

Understanding the elastic relaxation mechanisms of strain in Ge islands on pit-patterned Si(001) substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vastola, G; Montalenti, F; Miglio, Leo

2008-01-01

Substrate pre-patterning is a new and effective route for growing ordered arrays of heteroepitaxial nanoislands. Here, by exploiting elasticity theory solved by using finite element methods, we show why islands growing inside pits are better relaxed with respect to the flat-substrate case. Pit pre-patterning is demonstrated to be more important than previously realized, allowing for further degrees of freedom in controlling not only positioning but also shape, strain, and coherence of the growing islands. Our results offer a solid interpretation for the recent experimental results obtained by the group of Professor Guenther Bauer.

Low Temperature (180°C Growth of Smooth Surface Germanium Epilayers on Silicon Substrates Using Electron Cyclotron Resonance Chemical Vapor Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teng-Hsiang Chang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a new method to grow thin germanium (Ge epilayers (40 nm on c-Si substrates at a low growth temperature of 180°C using electron cyclotron resonance chemical vapor deposition (ECR-CVD process. The full width at half maximum (FWHM of the Ge (004 in X-ray diffraction pattern and the compressive stain in a Ge epilayer of 683 arcsec and 0.12% can be achieved. Moreover, the Ge/Si interface is observed by transmission electron microscopy to demonstrate the epitaxial growth of Ge on Si and the surface roughness is 0.342 nm. The thin-thickness and smooth surface of Ge epilayer grown on Si in this study is suitable to be a virtual substrate for developing the low cost and high efficiency III-V/Si tandem solar cells in our opinion. Furthermore, the low temperature process can not only decrease costs but can also reduce the restriction of high temperature processes on device manufacturing.

Enhanced light output from the nano-patterned InP semiconductor substrate through the nanoporous alumina mask.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Mi; Kim, Jae Hun; Lee, Seok; Jang, Byung Jin; Lee, Woo Young; Oh, Yoo-Mi; Park, Sun-Woo; Woo, Deokha

2012-07-01

A significant enhancement in the light output from nano-patterned InP substrate covered with a nanoporous alumina mask was observed. A uniform nanohole array on an InP semiconductor substrate was fabricated by inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP-RIE), using the nanoporous alumina mask as a shadow mask. The light output property of the semiconductor substrate was investigated via photoluminescence (PL) intensity measurement. The InP substrate with a nanohole array showed a more enhanced PL intensity compared with the raw InP substrate without a nanohole structure. After ICP-RIE etching, the light output from the nanoporous InP substrate covered with a nanoporous alumina mask showed fourfold enhanced PL intensity compared with the raw InP substrate. These results can be used as a prospective method for increasing the light output efficiency of optoelectronic devices.

Reproducible and recyclable SERS substrates: Flower-like Ag structures with concave surfaces formed by electrodeposition

Science.gov (United States)

Bian, Juncao; Shu, Shiwei; Li, Jianfu; Huang, Chao; Li, Yang Yang; Zhang, Rui-Qin

2015-04-01

Direct synthesis of three-dimensional Ag structures on solid substrates for the purposes of producing reproducible and recyclable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications remains challenging. In this work, flower-like Ag structures with concave surfaces (FACS) were successfully electrodeposited onto ITO glass using the double-potentiostatic method. The FACS, with an enhancement factor of the order of 108, exhibited a SERS signal intensity 3.3 times stronger than that measured from Ag nanostructures without concave surfaces. A cleaning procedure involving lengthy immersion of the sample in ethanol and KNO3 was proposed to recycle the substrate and confirmed by using rhodamine 6G, adenine, and 4-aminothiophenol as target molecules. The findings can help to advance the practical applications of Ag nanostructure-based SERS substrates.

Fabrication and characterization of surface barrier detector from commercial silicon substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Julio Batista Rodrigues

2016-01-01

In this work it was developed radiation detectors silicon surface barrier that were capable of detecting the presence of gamma radiation from a low energy of iodine-125 seeds used in brachytherapy treatments. >From commercial silicon substrates detectors were developed, one sequence left of chemical treatments to the surfaces of these substrates with the intention of minimizing the possible noise generated, validation of the samples obtained as diodes, ensuring detector characteristics and effective use as detector for Iodine-125 radioactive sources with energy of about 25 keV and Americium-251 with energy on the order of 59 keV. Finished performing the analysis of the obtained energy spectra and so it was possible to observe the ability of these detectors to measure the energy from these seeds. (author)

Dynamic patterns in a supported lipid bilayer driven by standing surface acoustic waves.

Science.gov (United States)

Hennig, Martin; Neumann, Jürgen; Wixforth, Achim; Rädler, Joachim O; Schneider, Matthias F

2009-11-07

In the past decades supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) have been an important tool in order to study the physical properties of biological membranes and cells. So far, controlled manipulation of SLBs is very limited. Here we present a new technology to create lateral patterns in lipid membranes controllable in both space and time. Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are used to generate lateral standing waves on a piezoelectric substrate which create local "traps" in the lipid bilayer and lead to a lateral modulation in lipid concentration. We demonstrate that pattern formation is reversible and does not affect the integrity of the lipid bilayer as shown by extracting the diffusion constant of fluid membranes. The described method could possibly be used to design switchable interfaces for the lateral transport and organization of membrane bound macromolecules to create dynamic bioarrays and control biofilm formation.

The barrier to misfit dislocation glide in continuous, strained, epitaxial layers on patterned substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, G.P.; Ast, D.G.; Anderson, T.J.; Pathangey, B.

1993-01-01

In a previous report [G. P. Watson, D. G. Ast, T. J. Anderson, and Y. Hayakawa, Appl. Phys. Lett. 58, 2517 (1991)] we demonstrated that the motion of misfit dislocations in InGaAs, grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy on patterned GaAs substrates, can be impeded even if the strained epitaxial layer is continuous. Trenches etched into GaAs before growth are known to act as a barrier to misfit dislocation propagation [E. A. Fitzgerald, G. P. Watson, R. E. Proano, D. G. Ast, P. D. Kirchner, G. D. Pettit, and J. M. Woodall, J. Appl. Phys. 65, 2220 (1989)] when those trenches create discontinuities in the epitaxial layers; but even shallow trenches, with continuous strained layers following the surface features, can act as barriers. By considering the strain energy required to change the length of the dislocation glide segments that stretch from the interface to the free surface, a simple model is developed that explains the major features of the unique blocking action observed at the trench edges. The trench wall angle is found to be an important parameter in determining whether or not a trench will block dislocation glide. The predicted blocking angles are consistent with observations made on continuous 300 and 600 nm thick In 0.04 Ga 0.96 As films on patterned GaAs. Based on the model, a structure is proposed that may be used as a filter to yield misfit dislocations with identical Burgers vectors or dislocations which slip in only one glide plane

An ontology design pattern for surface water features

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Gaurav; Mark, David; Kolas, Dave; Varanka, Dalia; Romero, Boleslo E.; Feng, Chen-Chieh; Usery, E. Lynn; Liebermann, Joshua; Sorokine, Alexandre

2014-01-01

Surface water is a primary concept of human experience but concepts are captured in cultures and languages in many different ways. Still, many commonalities exist due to the physical basis of many of the properties and categories. An abstract ontology of surface water features based only on those physical properties of landscape features has the best potential for serving as a foundational domain ontology for other more context-dependent ontologies. The Surface Water ontology design pattern was developed both for domain knowledge distillation and to serve as a conceptual building-block for more complex or specialized surface water ontologies. A fundamental distinction is made in this ontology between landscape features that act as containers (e.g., stream channels, basins) and the bodies of water (e.g., rivers, lakes) that occupy those containers. Concave (container) landforms semantics are specified in a Dry module and the semantics of contained bodies of water in a Wet module. The pattern is implemented in OWL, but Description Logic axioms and a detailed explanation is provided in this paper. The OWL ontology will be an important contribution to Semantic Web vocabulary for annotating surface water feature datasets. Also provided is a discussion of why there is a need to complement the pattern with other ontologies, especially the previously developed Surface Network pattern. Finally, the practical value of the pattern in semantic querying of surface water datasets is illustrated through an annotated geospatial dataset and sample queries using the classes of the Surface Water pattern.

Surface properties and field emission characteristics of chemical vapor deposition diamond grown on Fe/Si substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirakuri, Kenji; Yokoyama, Takahiro; Enomoto, Hirofumi; Mutsukura, Nobuki; Friedbacher, Gernot

2001-01-01

Electron field emission characteristics of diamond grains fabricated on iron dot-patterned silicon (Fe/Si) substrates at different methane concentrations have been investigated. The characteristics of the samples could be improved by control of the methane concentration during diamond fabrication. Etching treatment of the as-grown diamond has enhanced the emission properties both with respect to current and threshold voltage. In order to study the influence of etching effects on the field emission characteristics, the respective surfaces were studied by Raman spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). ESCA revealed intensive graphite and FeO x peaks on the sample surface grown at high methane concentration. For the etched samples, the peaks of diamond and silicon carbide were observed, and the peaks of nondiamond carbon disappeared. The experimental results show that the etching process removes graphitic and nondiamond carbon components. [copyright] 2001 American Institute of Physics

Electronic structures of GeSi nanoislands grown on pit-patterned Si(001 substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han Ye

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Patterning pit on Si(001 substrate prior to Ge deposition is an important approach to achieve GeSi nanoislands with high ordering and size uniformity. In present work, the electronic structures of realistic uncapped pyramid, dome, barn and cupola nanoislands grown in {105} pits are systematically investigated by solving Schrödinger equation for heavy-hole, which resorts to inhomogeneous strain distribution and nonlinear composition-dependent band parameters. Uniform, partitioned and equilibrium composition profile (CP in nanoisland and inverted pyramid structure are simulated separately. We demonstrate the huge impact of composition profile on localization of heavy-hole: wave function of ground state is confined near pit facets for uniform CP, at bottom of nanoisland for partitioned CP and at top of nanoisland for equilibrium CP. Moreover, such localization is gradually compromised by the size effect as pit filling ratio or pit size decreases. The results pave the fundamental guideline of designing nanoislands on pit-patterned substrates for desired applications.

Fabrication of nano-sized metal patterns on flexible polyethylene-terephthalate substrate using bi-layer nanoimprint lithography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Seon Yong; Jung, Ho Yong [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 136-701 (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Jun-Ho [Nano-Mechanical Systems Research Center, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Yuseong-gu Daejeon, 305-343 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Heon, E-mail: heonlee@korea.ac.k [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 136-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2009-05-29

Polymer films are widely used as a substrate for displays and for solar cells since they are cheap, transparent and flexible, and their material properties are easy to design. Polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) is especially useful for various applications requiring transparency, flexibility and good thermal and chemical resistance. In this study, nano-sized metal patterns were fabricated on flexible PET film by using nanoimprint lithography (NIL). Water-soluble poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) resin was used as a planarization and sacrificial layer for the lift-off process, as it does not damage the PET films and can easily be etched off by using oxygen plasma. NIL was used to fabricate the nano-sized patterns on the non-planar or flexible substrate. Finally, a nano-sized metal pattern was successfully formed by depositing the metal layer over the imprinted resist patterns and applying the lift-off process, which is economic and environmentally friendly, to the PET films.

Capillary Self-Alignment of Microchips on Soft Substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bo Chang

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Soft micro devices and stretchable electronics have attracted great interest for their potential applications in sensory skins and wearable bio-integrated devices. One of the most important steps in building printed circuits is the alignment of assembled micro objects. Previously, the capillary self-alignment of microchips driven by surface tension effects has been shown to be able to achieve high-throughput and high-precision in the integration of micro parts on rigid hydrophilic/superhydrophobic patterned surfaces. In this paper, the self-alignment of microchips on a patterned soft and stretchable substrate, which consists of hydrophilic pads surrounded by a superhydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS background, is demonstrated for the first time. A simple process has been developed for making superhydrophobic soft surface by replicating nanostructures of black silicon onto a PDMS surface. Different kinds of PDMS have been investigated, and the parameters for fabricating superhydrophobic PDMS have been optimized. A self-alignment strategy has been proposed that can result in reliable self-alignment on a soft PDMS substrate. Our results show that capillary self-alignment has great potential for building soft printed circuits.

Influence of the surface free energy of silane-coupled mica substrate on the fixing and straightening of DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasou, Megumi; Sugiyama, Shigeru; Ishida, Takao; Ohtani, Toshio; Miyake, Koji

2009-01-01

Methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS)-coupled mica substrate is reportedly suitable for fixing and straightening of DNA, but 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES)-coupled mica substrate has been found less suitable. On MTMS-coupled mica substrate, the straightness of fixed DNA was sufficient, and the adsorption of contaminants was not observed using fluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy. For the APTES-coupled mica substrate, however, aggregated or curved DNA and adsorption of contaminants were observed. To clarify the surface factors that are responsible for this suitability, we analyzed the surface free energies of these substrates using the extended Fowkes theory. In each of the surface free energy components, the dispersion force component in the MTMS-coupled mica substrate was lower than that in the APTES-coupled mica substrate. The ratio of the polar force component on the MTMS-coupled mica substrate was about one order of magnitude on the APTES-coupled mica substrate. In addition, the ratio of the hydrogen-bonding force component for the MTMS-coupled mica substrate was about two times larger than that of the APTES-coupled mica substrate. These results suggest that the polar force and hydrogen-bonding force components are important factors for the fixation and straightening of DNA and that the dispersion force components influence the production and adsorption of contaminants.

Site-specific forest-assembly of single-wall carbon nanotubes on electron-beam patterned SiOx/Si substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Haoyan; Kim, Sang Nyon; Kim, Sejong; Huey, Bryan D.; Papadimitrakopoulos, Fotios; Marcus, Harris L.

2008-01-01

Based on electron-beam direct writing on the SiO x /Si substrates, favorable absorption sites for ferric cations (Fe 3+ ions) were created on the surface oxide layer. This allowed Fe 3+ -assisted self-assembled arrays of single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT) probes to be produced. Auger investigation indicated that the incident energetic electrons depleted oxygen, creating more dangling bonds around Si atoms at the surface of the SiO x layer. This resulted in a distinct difference in the friction forces from unexposed regions as measured by lateral force microscopy (LFM). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) affirmed that the irradiated domains absorbed considerably more Fe 3+ ions upon immersion into pH 2.2 aqueous FeCl 3 solution. This rendered a greater yield of FeO(OH)/FeOCl precipitates, primarily FeO(OH), upon subsequent washing with lightly basic dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. Such selective metal-functionalization established the basis for the subsequent patterned forest-assembly of SWNTs as demonstrated by resonance Raman spectroscopy

Method for preparing microstructure arrays on the surface of thin film material

KAUST Repository

Wang, Peng; Tang, Bo; Zhang, Lianbin

2017-01-01

Methods are provided for growing a thin film of a nanoscale material. Thin films of nanoscale materials are also provided. The films can be grown with microscale patterning. The method can include vacuum filtration of a solution containing the nanostructured material through a porous substrate. The porous substrate can have a pore size that is comparable to the size of the nanoscale material. By patterning the pores on the surface of the substrate, a film can be grown having the pattern on a surface of the thin film, including on the top surface opposite the substrate. The nanoscale material can be graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, molybdenum disulfide, hexagonal boron nitride, tungsten diselenide, molybdenum trioxide, or clays such as montmorillonite or lapnotie. The porous substrate can be a porous organic or inorganic membrane, a silicon stencil membrane, or similar membrane having pore sizes on the order of microns.

Method for preparing microstructure arrays on the surface of thin film material

KAUST Repository

Wang, Peng

2017-02-09

Methods are provided for growing a thin film of a nanoscale material. Thin films of nanoscale materials are also provided. The films can be grown with microscale patterning. The method can include vacuum filtration of a solution containing the nanostructured material through a porous substrate. The porous substrate can have a pore size that is comparable to the size of the nanoscale material. By patterning the pores on the surface of the substrate, a film can be grown having the pattern on a surface of the thin film, including on the top surface opposite the substrate. The nanoscale material can be graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, molybdenum disulfide, hexagonal boron nitride, tungsten diselenide, molybdenum trioxide, or clays such as montmorillonite or lapnotie. The porous substrate can be a porous organic or inorganic membrane, a silicon stencil membrane, or similar membrane having pore sizes on the order of microns.

Direct metal transfer printing on flexible substrate for fabricating optics functional devices

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yingjie; Zhou, Xiaohong; Zhang, Feng; Shi, Zhenwu; Chen, Linsen; Peng, Changsi

2015-11-01

New functional materials and devices based on metal patterns can be widely used in many new and expanding industries,such as flat panel displays, alternative energy,sensors and so on. In this paper, we introduce a new transfer printing method for fabricating metal optics functional devices. This method can directly transfer a metal pattern from a polyethylene terephthalate (PET)supported UV or polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) pattern to another PET substrate. Purely taking advantage of the anaerobic UV curing adhesive (a-UV) on PET substrate, metal film can be easily peeled off from micro/nano-structured surface. As a result, metal film on the protrusion can be selectively transferred onto the target substrate, to make it the metal functional surface. But which on the bottom can not be transferred. This method provides low cost fabrication of metal thin film devices by avoiding high cost lithography process. Compared with conventional approach, this method can get more smooth rough edges and has wider tolerance range for the original master mold. Future developments and potential applications of this metal transfer method will be addressed.

Micropatterning of biomolecules on a glass substrate in fused silica microchannels by using photolabile linker-based surface activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, K.; Mawatari, K.; Kitamori, T.; Xu, Y.; Sato, K.; Tanaka, Y.

2012-01-01

We report on a straightforward method for creating micropatterns of multiple biomolecules. The anti-fouling agent 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer and a photolabile linker (PL) were covalently linked to an amino-terminated silane surface. Patterns were generated by selective removal of the MPC polymer via UV irradiation. Multiple micropatterns of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled bovine serum albumin (BSA) and rhodamine-labeled goat fragment antigen-binding fragments (FAB) were deposited on a same glass substrate. We also employed micropatterning of multiple biomolecules in that Texas red-labeled BSA and FITC-labeled rabbit anti-mouse IgG were placed inside a microchannel. (author)

Stress-directed compositional patterning of SiGe substrates for lateral quantum barrier manipulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Swapnadip; Kaiser, Daniel; Sinno, Talid; Bonilla, Jose; Han, Sang M.

2015-01-01

While vertical stacking of quantum well and dot structures is well established in heteroepitaxial semiconductor materials, manipulation of quantum barriers in the lateral directions poses a significant engineering challenge. Here, we demonstrate lateral quantum barrier manipulation in a crystalline SiGe alloy using structured mechanical fields to drive compositional redistribution. To apply stress, we make use of a nano-indenter array that is pressed against a Si 0.8 Ge 0.2 wafer in a custom-made mechanical press. The entire assembly is then annealed at high temperatures, during which the larger Ge atoms are selectively driven away from areas of compressive stress. Compositional analysis of the SiGe substrates reveals that this approach leads to a transfer of the indenter array pattern to the near-surface elemental composition, resulting in near 100% Si regions underneath each indenter that are separated from each other by the surrounding Si 0.8 Ge 0.2 bulk. The “stress transfer” process is studied in detail using multiscale computer simulations that demonstrate its robustness across a wide range of applied stresses and annealing temperatures. While the “Si nanodot” structures formed here are not intrinsically useful as quantum structures, it is anticipated that the stress transfer process may be modified by judicious control of the SiGe film thickness and indenter array pattern to form more technologically useful structures

CW substrate-free metal-cavity surface microemitters at 300 K

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Chien-Yao; Chang, Shu-Wei; Chuang, Shun Lien; Germann, Tim D; Pohl, Udo W; Bimberg, Dieter

2011-01-01

In this paper substrate-free metal-cavity surface microemitters are demonstrated. The optical cavity is formed by a metal reflector, metal-surrounded sidewall and n-doped distributed-Bragg reflector, which provides optical feedback and carrier injection. We describe a simple design principle with the modal properties modified by geometry and metal-insulator cladding. Both resonant cavity light-emitting diodes (1.85 µm diameter and 0.6 µm height) and lasers (2.0 µm diameter and 2.5 µm height) are successfully fabricated and characterized. These two types of devices operate at room temperature under continuous-wave (CW) operation. Since the devices are substrate-free, they can be bonded to any substrates. From the threshold currents of the lasers, we obtain a high characteristic temperature of 425 K in the range of 10–27 °C. We also discuss a general approach to improve the diffraction from small-aperture devices

Comparative of fibroblast and osteoblast cells adhesion on surface modified nanofibrous substrates based on polycaprolactone.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharifi, Fereshteh; Irani, Shiva; Zandi, Mojgan; Soleimani, Masoud; Atyabi, Seyed Mohammad

2016-12-01

One of the determinant factors for successful bioengineering is to achieve appropriate nano-topography and three-dimensional substrate. In this research, polycaprolactone (PCL) nano-fibrous mat with different roughness modified with O 2 plasma was fabricated via electrospinning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of plasma modification along with surface nano-topography of mats on the quality of human fibroblast (HDFs) and osteoblast cells (OSTs)-substrate interaction. Surface properties were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle, Fourier-transformation infrared spectroscopy. We evaluated mechanical properties of fabricated mats by tensile test. The viability and proliferation of HDFs and OSTs on the substrates were followed by 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT). Mineralization of the substrate was determined by alizarin red staining method and calcium content of OSTs was determined by calcium content kit. Cells morphology was studied by SEM analysis. The results revealed that the plasma-treated electrospun nano-fibrous substrate with higher roughness was an excellent designed substrate. A bioactive topography for stimulating proliferation of HDFs and OSTs is to accelerate the latter's differentiation time. Therefore, the PCL substrate with high density and major nano-topography were considered as a bio-functional and elegant bio-substrate for tissue regeneration applications.

Chemical resistivity of self-assembled monolayer covalently attached to silicon substrate to hydrofluoric acid and ammonium fluoride

Science.gov (United States)

Saito, N.; Youda, S.; Hayashi, K.; Sugimura, H.; Takai, O.

2003-06-01

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were prepared on hydrogen-terminated silicon substrates through chemical vapor deposition using 1-hexadecene (HD) as a precursor. The HD-SAMs prepared in an atmosphere under a reduced pressure (≈50 Pa) showed better chemical resistivities to hydrofluoric acid and ammonium fluoride (NH 4F) solutions than that of an organosilane SAM formed on oxide-covered silicon substrates. The surface covered with the HD-SAM was micro-patterned by vacuum ultraviolet photolithography and consequently divided into two areas terminated with HD-SAM or silicon dioxide. This micro-patterned sample was immersed in a 40 vol.% NH 4F aqueous solution. Surface images obtained by an optical microscopy clearly show that the micro-patterns of HD-SAM/silicon dioxide were successfully transferred into the silicon substrate.

Removal of nanoparticles from plain and patterned surfaces using nanobubbles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yang, S.; Duisterwinkel, A.E.

2011-01-01

It is the aim of this paper to quantitatively characterize the capability of surface nanobubbles for surface cleaning, i.e., removal of nanodimensioned polystyrene particles from the surface. We adopt two types of substrates: plain and nanopatterned (trench/ridge) silicon wafer. The method used to

Aqueous chemical growth and patterning of ZnO nanopillars on different substrate materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kreye, M.; Postels, B.; Wehmann, H.H.; Waag, A. [Institute of Semiconductor Technology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Hans-Sommer-Strasse 66, 38106 Braunschweig (Germany); Fuhrmann, D.; Hangleiter, A. [Institute of Applied Physics, Technical University of Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstrasse 2, 38106 Braunschweig (Germany)

2006-03-15

Aqueous chemical growth (ACG) is a low-temperature approach that is only weakly influenced by the substrate and allows for the growth of ZnO nanopillars on various substrates. ACG is an efficient way to generate wafer-scale and densely packed arrays of ZnO nanopillars even on polymer materials. Photoluminescence (PL) characterisation clearly shows a comparatively strong band-edge luminescence even at room temperature that is accompanied with a rather weak visible luminescence in the yellow/orange spectral range. We introduce a rather simple postgrowth lithographic technique. Patterning of ZnO nanopillars even on layered conducting and flexible substrate materials using ACG as a low-temperature growth technique is demonstrated. The economical potential for future applications and devices using ZnO nanopillar arrays is discussed. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

High-performance flexible surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates fabricated by depositing Ag nanoislands on the dragonfly wing

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuhong; Wang, Mingli; Shen, Lin; Sun, Xin; Shi, Guochao; Ma, Wanli; Yan, Xiaoya

2018-04-01

Natural dragonfly wing (DW), as a template, was deposited on noble metal sliver (Ag) nanoislands by magnetron sputtering to fabricate a flexible, low-cost, large-scale and environment-friendly surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate (Ag/DW substrate). Generally, materials with regular surface nanostructures are chosen for the templates, the selection of our new material with irregular surface nanostructures for substrates provides a new idea for the preparation of high-performance SERS-active substrates and many biomimetic materials. The optimum sputtering time of metal Ag was also investigated at which the prepared SERS-active substrates revealed remarkable SERS activities to 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) and crystal violet (CV). Even more surprisingly, the Ag/DW substrate with such an irregular template had reached the enhancement factor (EF) of ∼1.05 × 105 and the detection limit of 10-10 M to 4-ATP. The 3D finite-different time-domain (3D-FDTD) simulation illustrated that the "hot spots" between neighbouring Ag nanoislands at the top of pillars played a most important role in generating electromagnetic (EM) enhancement and strengthening Raman signals.

Deposition of thermal and hot-wire chemical vapor deposition copper thin films on patterned substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Papadimitropoulos, G; Davazoglou, D

2011-09-01

In this work we study the hot-wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) of copper films on blanket and patterned substrates at high filament temperatures. A vertical chemical vapor deposition reactor was used in which the chemical reactions were assisted by a tungsten filament heated at 650 degrees C. Hexafluoroacetylacetonate Cu(I) trimethylvinylsilane (CupraSelect) vapors were used, directly injected into the reactor with the aid of a liquid injection system using N2 as carrier gas. Copper thin films grown also by thermal and hot-wire CVD. The substrates used were oxidized silicon wafers on which trenches with dimensions of the order of 500 nm were formed and subsequently covered with LPCVD W. HWCVD copper thin films grown at filament temperature of 650 degrees C showed higher growth rates compared to the thermally ones. They also exhibited higher resistivities than thermal and HWCVD films grown at lower filament temperatures. Thermally grown Cu films have very uniform deposition leading to full coverage of the patterned substrates while the HWCVD films exhibited a tendency to vertical growth, thereby creating gaps and incomplete step coverage.

Crystal Nucleation Using Surface-Energy-Modified Glass Substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordquist, Kyle A; Schaab, Kevin M; Sha, Jierui; Bond, Andrew H

2017-08-02

Systematic surface energy modifications to glass substrates can induce nucleation and improve crystallization outcomes for small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and proteins. A comparatively broad probe for function is presented in which various APIs, proteins, organic solvents, aqueous media, surface energy motifs, crystallization methods, form factors, and flat and convex surface energy modifications were examined. Replicate studies ( n ≥ 6) have demonstrated an average reduction in crystallization onset times of 52(4)% (alternatively 52 ± 4%) for acetylsalicylic acid from 91% isopropyl alcohol using two very different techniques: bulk cooling to 0 °C using flat surface energy modifications or microdomain cooling to 4 °C from the interior of a glass capillary having convex surface energy modifications that were immersed in the solution. For thaumatin and bovine pancreatic trypsin, a 32(2)% reduction in crystallization onset times was demonstrated in vapor diffusion experiments ( n ≥ 15). Nucleation site arrays have been engineered onto form factors frequently used in crystallization screening, including microscope slides, vials, and 96- and 384-well high-throughput screening plates. Nucleation using surface energy modifications on the vessels that contain the solutes to be crystallized adds a layer of useful variables to crystallization studies without requiring significant changes to workflows or instrumentation.

Ordered arrays of embedded Ga nanoparticles on patterned silicon substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bollani, M; Bietti, S; Sanguinetti, S; Frigeri, C; Chrastina, D; Reyes, K; Smereka, P; Millunchick, J M; Vanacore, G M; Tagliaferri, A; Burghammer, M

2014-01-01

We fabricate site-controlled, ordered arrays of embedded Ga nanoparticles on Si, using a combination of substrate patterning and molecular-beam epitaxial growth. The fabrication process consists of two steps. Ga droplets are initially nucleated in an ordered array of inverted pyramidal pits, and then partially crystallized by exposure to an As flux, which promotes the formation of a GaAs shell that seals the Ga nanoparticle within two semiconductor layers. The nanoparticle formation process has been investigated through a combination of extensive chemical and structural characterization and theoretical kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. (papers)

Self-organized dendritic patterns in the polymer Langmuir-Blodgett film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsui, Jun, E-mail: jun_m@tagen.tohoku.ac.j [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai, 980-8577 (Japan); Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8, Honcho, Kawaguchi 332-0012 (Japan); Suzuki, Toshio; Mikayama, Takeshi [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai, 980-8577 (Japan); Aoki, Atsushi [Materials Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology Gokiso, Shouwa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555 (Japan); Miyashita, Tokuji [Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, 2-1-1, Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai, 980-8577 (Japan)

2011-01-03

We report the formation of a self-organized dendritic pattern of nanometer thickness in polymer Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films. Poly(N-dodecylacrylamide) (pDDA)/chloroform solution was spread on a water surface to form a stable polymer monolayer. A pDDA monolayer was deposited onto a hydrophilic silicon substrate by upward deposition from a water subphase, and a second layer was then deposited by downward deposition. The substrate with the two layers was withdrawn from a clean water surface at a high speed to form the dendritic pattern, which was imaged by atomic force microscopy. The height of the pattern, 3.5 nm, corresponds to the height of a bilayer pDDA LB film, suggesting that the pattern forms when the deposited outermost layer overturns by meniscus oscillation. A similar dendritic structure of narrower width and lower height was fabricated on a hydrophobic silicon substrate.

Substrate-Bound Protein Gradients to Study Haptotaxis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastien G. Ricoult

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Cells navigate in response to inhomogeneous distributions of extracellular guidance cues. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying migration in response to gradients of chemical cues have been investigated for over a century. Following the introduction of micropipettes and more recently microfluidics for gradient generation, much attention and effort was devoted to study cellular chemotaxis, which is defined as guidance by gradients of chemical cues in solution. Haptotaxis, directional migration in response to gradients of substrate-bound cues, has received comparatively less attention; however it is increasingly clear that in vivo many physiologically relevant guidance proteins – including many secreted cues – are bound to cellular surfaces or incorporated into extracellular matrix and likely function via a haptotactic mechanism. Here, we review the history of haptotaxis. We examine the importance of the reference surface, the surface in contact with the cell that is not covered by the cue, which forms a gradient opposing the gradient of the protein cue and must be considered in experimental designs and interpretation of results. We review and compare microfluidics, contact-printing, light patterning and 3D fabrication to pattern substrate-bound protein gradients in vitro, and focus on their application to study axon guidance. The range of methods to create substrate-bound gradients discussed herein make possible systematic analyses of haptotactic mechanisms. Furthermore, understanding the fundamental mechanisms underlying cell motility will inform bioengineering approaches to program cell navigation and recover lost function.

Printing-assisted surface modifications of patterned ultrafiltration membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wardrip, Nathaniel C.; Dsouza, Melissa; Urgun-Demirtas, Meltem; Snyder, Seth W.

2016-01-01

Understanding and restricting microbial surface attachment will enhance wastewater treatment with membranes. We report a maskless lithographic patterning technique for the generation of patterned polymer coatings on ultrafiltration membranes. Polyethylene glycol, zwitterionic, or negatively charged hydrophilic polymer compositions in parallel- or perpendicular-striped patterns with respect to feed flow were evaluated using wastewater. Membrane fouling was dependent on the orientation and chemical composition of the coatings. Modifications reduced alpha diversity in the attached microbial community (Shannon indices decreased from 2.63 to 1.89) which nevertheless increased with filtration time. Sphingomonas species, which condition membrane surfaces and facilitate cellular adhesion, were depleted in all modified membranes. Microbial community structure was significantly different between control, different patterns, and different chemistries. Lastly, this study broadens the tools for surface modification of membranes with polymer coatings and for understanding and optimization of antifouling surfaces.

One-step controllable fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces with special composite structure on zinc substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Tao; Xu, Wenguo; Lu, Shixiang

2011-09-01

Stable superhydrophobic platinum surfaces have been effectively fabricated on the zinc substrates through one-step replacement deposition process without further modification or any other post-treatment procedures. The fabrication process was controllable, which could be testified by various morphologies and hydrophobic properties of different prepared samples. By conducting SEM and water CA analysis, the effects of reaction conditions on the surface morphology and hydrophobicity of the resulting surfaces were carefully studied. The results show that the optimum condition of superhydrophobic surface fabrication depends largely on the positioning of zinc plate and the concentrations of reactants. When the zinc plate was placed vertically and the concentration of PtCl(4) solution was 5 mmol/L, the zinc substrate would be covered by a novel and interesting composite structure. The structure was composed by microscale hexagonal cavities, densely packed nanoparticles layer and top micro- and nanoscale flower-like structures, which exhibit great surface roughness and porosity contributing to the superhydrophobicity. The maximal CA value of about 171° was obtained under the same reaction condition. The XRD, XPS and EDX results indicate that crystallite pure platinum nanoparticles were aggregated on the zinc substrates in accordance with a free deposition way. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of trace of nitrogen on the helium atmospheric pressure plasma jet interacting with a dielectric substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Ning, Wenjun; Dai, Dong; Zhang, Yuhui; Han, Yongxia; Li, Licheng

2018-03-01

Experimental observations and simulation results regarding a pure He atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) and He  +  N2 APPJs interacting with a downstream dielectric substrate are presented in this paper. Experiments utilizing spatial-temporal imaging show that, in the case of the pure He APPJ, an annular plasma-substrate interaction pattern is formed. With the introduction of N2, the plasma is more uniformly distributed on the substrate surface, appearing a solid interaction pattern. The experimental measurements indicate 0.5% N2 mixture is the optimal condition to achieve the most intense discharge, while the plasma-substrate contact area is slightly reduced by 6.1% in comparison to that of the pure He APPJ. A 2D self-consistent fluid model is constructed to provide insights into the role of the addition of trace of N2 on the discharge dynamics. The discharge morphologies predicated by the model is in principle consistent with the experimental observations. The simulation reveals that the conversion from the annular plasma-substrate interaction pattern to the solid one is attributed to the synthetic effect of the addition of N2 and the presentence of the substrate acting as the cathode to enhance the local electric field. In the solid interaction pattern, the Penning ionization makes a significant contribution to the surface discharge, especially in the afterglow region. The dominant positive ions (N2+ and N4+ ) and the reactive oxygen and nitrogen species including O and N gain remarkable increment in the flux intensity to the central surface, which merits great application potential.

Wetting study of patterned surfaces for superhydrophobicity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhushan, Bharat [Nanotribology Laboratory for Information Storage and MEMS/NEMS (NLIM), 201 W. 19th Avenue, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43202-1107 (United States)], E-mail: Bhushan.2@osu.edu; Jung, Yong Chae [Nanotribology Laboratory for Information Storage and MEMS/NEMS (NLIM), 201 W. 19th Avenue, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43202-1107 (United States)

2007-10-15

Superhydrophobic surfaces have considerable technological potential for various applications due to their extreme water-repellent properties. A number of studies have been carried out to produce artificial biomimetic roughness-induced hydrophobic surfaces. In general, both homogeneous and composite interfaces are possible on the produced surface. Silicon surfaces patterned with pillars of two different diameters and heights with varying pitch values were fabricated. We show how static contact angles vary with different pitch values on the patterned silicon surfaces. Based on the experimental data and a numerical model, the trends are explained. We show that superhydrophobic surfaces have low hysteresis and tilt angle. Tribological properties play an important role in many applications requiring water-repellent properties. Therefore, it is important to study the adhesion and friction properties of these surfaces that mimic nature. An atomic/friction force microscope (AFM/FFM) is used for surface characterization and adhesion and friction measurements.

Comparative of fibroblast and osteoblast cells adhesion on surface modified nanofibrous substrates based on polycaprolactone

OpenAIRE

Sharifi, Fereshteh; Irani, Shiva; Zandi, Mojgan; Soleimani, Masoud; Atyabi, Seyed Mohammad

2016-01-01

One of the determinant factors for successful bioengineering is to achieve appropriate nano-topography and three-dimensional substrate. In this research, polycaprolactone (PCL) nano-fibrous mat with different roughness modified with O2 plasma was fabricated via electrospinning. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of plasma modification along with surface nano-topography of mats on the quality of human fibroblast (HDFs) and osteoblast cells (OSTs)-substrate interaction. Surfac...

Optically transparent frequency selective surfaces on flexible thin plastic substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dewani, Aliya A., E-mail: a.ashraf@griffith.edu.au; O’Keefe, Steven G.; Thiel, David V.; Galehdar, Amir [School Of Electrical Engineering, Griffith University, Brisbane, 4111 (Australia)

2015-02-15

A novel 2D simple low cost frequency selective surface was screen printed on thin (0.21 mm), flexible transparent plastic substrate (relative permittivity 3.2). It was designed, fabricated and tested in the frequency range 10-20 GHz. The plane wave transmission and reflection coefficients agreed with numerical modelling. The effective permittivity and thickness of the backing sheet has a significant effect on the frequency characteristics. The stop band frequency reduced from 15GHz (no backing) to 12.5GHz with polycarbonate. The plastic substrate thickness beyond 1.8mm has minimal effect on the resonant frequency. While the inner element spacing controls the stop-band frequency, the substrate thickness controls the bandwidth. The screen printing technique provided a simple, low cost FSS fabrication method to produce flexible, conformal, optically transparent and bio-degradable FSS structures which can find their use in electromagnetic shielding and filtering applications in radomes, reflector antennas, beam splitters and polarizers.

Optically transparent frequency selective surfaces on flexible thin plastic substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aliya A. Dewani

2015-02-01

Full Text Available A novel 2D simple low cost frequency selective surface was screen printed on thin (0.21 mm, flexible transparent plastic substrate (relative permittivity 3.2. It was designed, fabricated and tested in the frequency range 10-20 GHz. The plane wave transmission and reflection coefficients agreed with numerical modelling. The effective permittivity and thickness of the backing sheet has a significant effect on the frequency characteristics. The stop band frequency reduced from 15GHz (no backing to 12.5GHz with polycarbonate. The plastic substrate thickness beyond 1.8mm has minimal effect on the resonant frequency. While the inner element spacing controls the stop-band frequency, the substrate thickness controls the bandwidth. The screen printing technique provided a simple, low cost FSS fabrication method to produce flexible, conformal, optically transparent and bio-degradable FSS structures which can find their use in electromagnetic shielding and filtering applications in radomes, reflector antennas, beam splitters and polarizers.

Optically transparent frequency selective surfaces on flexible thin plastic substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Dewani, Aliya A.; O'Keefe, Steven G.; Thiel, David V.; Galehdar, Amir

2015-02-01

A novel 2D simple low cost frequency selective surface was screen printed on thin (0.21 mm), flexible transparent plastic substrate (relative permittivity 3.2). It was designed, fabricated and tested in the frequency range 10-20 GHz. The plane wave transmission and reflection coefficients agreed with numerical modelling. The effective permittivity and thickness of the backing sheet has a significant effect on the frequency characteristics. The stop band frequency reduced from 15GHz (no backing) to 12.5GHz with polycarbonate. The plastic substrate thickness beyond 1.8mm has minimal effect on the resonant frequency. While the inner element spacing controls the stop-band frequency, the substrate thickness controls the bandwidth. The screen printing technique provided a simple, low cost FSS fabrication method to produce flexible, conformal, optically transparent and bio-degradable FSS structures which can find their use in electromagnetic shielding and filtering applications in radomes, reflector antennas, beam splitters and polarizers.

Competitive concurrence of surface wrinkling and dewetting of liquid crystalline polymer films on non-wettable substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Sung E; Choi, Gwan H; Yi, Gi-Ra; Yoo, Pil J

2017-11-01

Polymeric thin films coated on non-wettable substrates undergo film-instabilities, which are usually manifested as surface deformation in the form of dewetting or wrinkling. The former takes place in fluidic films, whereas the latter occurs in solid films. Therefore, there have rarely been reports of systems involving simultaneous deformations of dewetting and wrinkling. In this study, we propose polymeric thin films of liquid crystalline (LC) mesogens prepared on a non-wettable Si substrate and apply a treatment of plasma irradiation to form a thin polymerized layer at the surface. The resulting compressive stress generated in the surface region drives the formation of wrinkles, while at the same time, dipolar attraction between LC molecules induces competitive cohesive dewetting. Intriguing surface structures were obtained whereby dewetting-like hole arrays are nested inside the randomly propagated wrinkles. The structural features are readily controlled by the degree of surface cross-linking, hydrophilicity of the substrates, and the LC film thickness. In particular, dewetting of LC mesogens is observed to be restricted to occur at the trough regions of wrinkles, exhibiting the typical behavior of geometrically confined dewetting. Finally, wrinkling-dewetting mixed structures are separated from the substrate in the form of free standing films to demonstrate the potential applicability as membranes.

Transparent Substrates for Plasmonic Sensing by Lithography-Free Fabrication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thilsted, Anil Haraksingh

This Ph.D. thesis presents fabrication and optimization of transparent plasmonic substrates that can be used for biological and chemical sensing by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sensing and localized surface plasmon resonance refractive index (LSPR RI) sensing. These substrates are......-free fabrication methods, and resulted in large-area, high throughput and low cost production techniques. The fabrication techniques consisted of using aluminum patterned areas and reactive ion etching (RIE) to achieve nanopillars or nanocylinders in glass; using RIE to achieve nanopillars in silicon as a mould......, respectively. As the substrates were transparent, measurements from the backside were possible, showing a 44%, 1:7% and 71% Raman signal intensity in comparison to the measurements from the front, for the glass nanopillars, the polymer injected nanopillars and the transferred metal nanocaps, respectively...

Ge-rich islands grown on patterned Si substrates by low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bollani, M; Fedorov, A; Chrastina, D; Sordan, R; Picco, A; Bonera, E

2010-01-01

Si 1-x Ge x islands grown on Si patterned substrates have received considerable attention during the last decade for potential applications in microelectronics and optoelectronics. In this work we propose a new methodology to grow Ge-rich islands using a chemical vapour deposition technique. Electron-beam lithography is used to pre-pattern Si substrates, creating material traps. Epitaxial deposition of thin Ge films by low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition then leads to the formation of Ge-rich Si 1-x Ge x islands (x > 0.8) with a homogeneous size distribution, precisely positioned with respect to the substrate pattern. The island morphology was characterized by atomic force microscopy, and the Ge content and strain in the islands was studied by μRaman spectroscopy. This characterization indicates a uniform distribution of islands with high Ge content and low strain: this suggests that the relatively high growth rate (0.1 nm s -1 ) and low temperature (650 deg. C) used is able to limit Si intermixing, while maintaining a long enough adatom diffusion length to prevent nucleation of islands outside pits. This offers the novel possibility of using these Ge-rich islands to induce strain in a Si cap.

Ge-rich islands grown on patterned Si substrates by low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Bollani, M; Chrastina, D; Fedorov, A; Sordan, R; Picco, A; Bonera, E

2010-11-26

Si(1-x)Ge(x) islands grown on Si patterned substrates have received considerable attention during the last decade for potential applications in microelectronics and optoelectronics. In this work we propose a new methodology to grow Ge-rich islands using a chemical vapour deposition technique. Electron-beam lithography is used to pre-pattern Si substrates, creating material traps. Epitaxial deposition of thin Ge films by low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition then leads to the formation of Ge-rich Si(1-x)Ge(x) islands (x > 0.8) with a homogeneous size distribution, precisely positioned with respect to the substrate pattern. The island morphology was characterized by atomic force microscopy, and the Ge content and strain in the islands was studied by μRaman spectroscopy. This characterization indicates a uniform distribution of islands with high Ge content and low strain: this suggests that the relatively high growth rate (0.1 nm s(-1)) and low temperature (650 °C) used is able to limit Si intermixing, while maintaining a long enough adatom diffusion length to prevent nucleation of islands outside pits. This offers the novel possibility of using these Ge-rich islands to induce strain in a Si cap.

A practical method to fabricate gold substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tantra, Ratna; Brown, Richard J C; Milton, Martin J T; Gohil, Dipak

2008-09-01

We describe a practical method of fabricating surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates based on dip-coating poly-L-lysine derivatized microscope slides in a gold colloidal suspension. The use of only commercially available starting materials in this preparation is particularly advantageous, aimed at both reducing time and the inconsistency associated with surface modification of substrates. The success of colloid deposition has been demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the corresponding SERS response (giving performance comparable to the corresponding traditional colloidal SERS substrates). Reproducibility was evaluated by conducting replicate measurements across six different locations on the substrate and assessing the extent of the variability (standard deviation values of spectral parameters: peak width and height), in response to either Rhodamine 6G or Isoniazid. Of particular interest is the observation of how some peaks in a given spectrum are more susceptible to data variability than others. For example, in a Rhodamine 6G SERS spectrum, spectral parameters of the peak at 775 cm(-1) were shown to have a relative standard deviation (RSD) % of or=10%. This observation is best explained by taking into account spectral variations that arise from the effect of a chemisorption process and the local nature of chemical enhancement mechanisms, which affects the enhancement of some spectral peaks but not others (analogous to resonant Raman phenomenon).

Characterization of glassy phase at the surface of alumina ceramics substrate and its effect on laser cutting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fu Renli [School of Mechanical-Electronic and Materials Engineering, China Univ. of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, JS (China); Dept. of Ceramics and Glass Engineering, CICECO, Univ. of Aveiro, Aveiro (Portugal); Li Yanbo [School of Mechanical-Electronic and Materials Engineering, China Univ. of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, JS (China); Xu Xin; Ferreira, J.M.F. [Dept. of Ceramics and Glass Engineering, CICECO, Univ. of Aveiro, Aveiro (Portugal)

2004-07-01

Nowadays alumina ceramic substrates are widely used for high precision applications in electronic devices, such as hybrid integrated circuits (HIC). Usually, the alumina ceramic substrates are shaped through tape casting method and sintered in continuous slab kilns. The sintering aids used to enhance densification during sintering give rise to the formation of an alumino-silicate liquid phase, which is of crucial importance in pressureless and low-temperature sintering (<1600 C) of alumina ceramics. The preferential migration of liquid phase to the surface of alumina substrates under the capillary action and its transformation into glassy phase during cooling affects the subsequent processing steps of HIC. A smoothening effect on surface with its enrichment in glassy phase is accompanied by a decrease of the surface toughness. On the other hand, the accumulated glassy phase onto the surface has a great effect on laser cutting. The high temperatures developed during laser cutting turn the superficial glassy phase into liquid again, while rapid solidification will occur after removing laser beam. The fast cooling of the liquid phase causes formation of extensive network of cracks on the surface of alumina substrate. Apparently, the presence of such faults degrades mechanical strength and thermal shock resistance of alumina substrates. Meanwhile, the recast layers and spatter deposits at the periphery of the hole has been observed. (orig.)

Biomechanics of gecko locomotion: the patterns of reaction forces on inverted, vertical and horizontal substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Zhouyi; Dai, Zhendong; Ji, Aihong; Xing, Qiang; Ren, Lei; Dai, Liming

2015-01-01

The excellent locomotion ability of geckos on various rough and/or inclined substrates has attracted scientists’ attention for centuries. However, the moving ability of gecko-mimicking robots on various inclined surfaces still lags far behind that of geckos, mainly because our understanding of how geckos govern their locomotion is still very poor. To reveal the fundamental mechanism of gecko locomotion and also to facilitate the design of gecko-mimicking robots, we have measured the reaction forces (RFs) acting on each individual foot of moving geckos on inverted, vertical and horizontal substrates (i.e. ceiling, wall and floor), have associated the RFs with locomotion behaviors by using high-speed camera, and have presented the relationships of the force components with patterns of reaction forces (PRFs). Geckos generate different PRF on ceiling, wall and floor, that is, the PRF is determined by the angles between the direction of gravity and the substrate on which geckos move. On the ceiling, geckos produce reversed shear forces acting on the front and hind feet, which pull away from the body in both lateral and fore-aft directions. They use a very large supporting angle from 21° to 24° to reduce the forces acting on their legs and feet. On the floor, geckos lift their bodies using a supporting angle from 76° to 78°, which not only decreases the RFs but also improves their locomotion ability. On the wall, geckos generate a reliable self-locking attachment by using a supporting angle of 14.8°, which is only about half of the critical angle of detachment. (paper)

Metallization and biopatterning on ultra-flexible substrates via dextran sacrificial layers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Tseng

Full Text Available Micro-patterning tools adopted from the semiconductor industry have mostly been optimized to pattern features onto rigid silicon and glass substrates, however, recently the need to pattern on soft substrates has been identified in simulating cellular environments or developing flexible biosensors. We present a simple method of introducing a variety of patterned materials and structures into ultra-flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS layers (elastic moduli down to 3 kPa utilizing water-soluble dextran sacrificial thin films. Dextran films provided a stable template for photolithography, metal deposition, particle adsorption, and protein stamping. These materials and structures (including dextran itself were then readily transferrable to an elastomer surface following PDMS (10 to 70∶1 base to crosslinker ratios curing over the patterned dextran layer and after sacrificial etch of the dextran in water. We demonstrate that this simple and straightforward approach can controllably manipulate surface wetting and protein adsorption characteristics of PDMS, covalently link protein patterns for stable cell patterning, generate composite structures of epoxy or particles for study of cell mechanical response, and stably integrate certain metals with use of vinyl molecular adhesives. This method is compatible over the complete moduli range of PDMS, and potentially generalizable over a host of additional micro- and nano-structures and materials.

Metallization and Biopatterning on Ultra-Flexible Substrates via Dextran Sacrificial Layers

Science.gov (United States)

Tseng, Peter; Pushkarsky, Ivan; Di Carlo, Dino

2014-01-01

Micro-patterning tools adopted from the semiconductor industry have mostly been optimized to pattern features onto rigid silicon and glass substrates, however, recently the need to pattern on soft substrates has been identified in simulating cellular environments or developing flexible biosensors. We present a simple method of introducing a variety of patterned materials and structures into ultra-flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layers (elastic moduli down to 3 kPa) utilizing water-soluble dextran sacrificial thin films. Dextran films provided a stable template for photolithography, metal deposition, particle adsorption, and protein stamping. These materials and structures (including dextran itself) were then readily transferrable to an elastomer surface following PDMS (10 to 70∶1 base to crosslinker ratios) curing over the patterned dextran layer and after sacrificial etch of the dextran in water. We demonstrate that this simple and straightforward approach can controllably manipulate surface wetting and protein adsorption characteristics of PDMS, covalently link protein patterns for stable cell patterning, generate composite structures of epoxy or particles for study of cell mechanical response, and stably integrate certain metals with use of vinyl molecular adhesives. This method is compatible over the complete moduli range of PDMS, and potentially generalizable over a host of additional micro- and nano-structures and materials. PMID:25153326

An Ontology Design Pattern for Surface Water Features

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinha, Gaurav [Ohio University; Mark, David [University at Buffalo (SUNY); Kolas, Dave [Raytheon BBN Technologies; Varanka, Dalia [U.S. Geological Survey, Rolla, MO; Romero, Boleslo E [University of California, Santa Barbara; Feng, Chen-Chieh [National University of Singapore; Usery, Lynn [U.S. Geological Survey, Rolla, MO; Liebermann, Joshua [Tumbling Walls, LLC; Sorokine, Alexandre [ORNL

2014-01-01

Surface water is a primary concept of human experience but concepts are captured in cultures and languages in many different ways. Still, many commonalities can be found due to the physical basis of many of the properties and categories. An abstract ontology of surface water features based only on those physical properties of landscape features has the best potential for serving as a foundational domain ontology. It can then be used to systematically incor-porate concepts that are specific to a culture, language, or scientific domain. The Surface Water ontology design pattern was developed both for domain knowledge distillation and to serve as a conceptual building-block for more complex surface water ontologies. A fundamental distinction is made in this on-tology between landscape features that act as containers (e.g., stream channels, basins) and the bodies of water (e.g., rivers, lakes) that occupy those containers. Concave (container) landforms semantics are specified in a Dry module and the semantics of contained bodies of water in a Wet module. The pattern is imple-mented in OWL, but Description Logic axioms and a detailed explanation is provided. The OWL ontology will be an important contribution to Semantic Web vocabulary for annotating surface water feature datasets. A discussion about why there is a need to complement the pattern with other ontologies, es-pecially the previously developed Surface Network pattern is also provided. Fi-nally, the practical value of the pattern in semantic querying of surface water datasets is illustrated through a few queries and annotated geospatial datasets.

Study on the oxidation and reduction of tungsten surface for sub-50 nm patterning process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Jong Kyu; Nam, Seok Woo; Cho, Sung Il; Jhon, Myung S.; Min, Kyung Suk; Kim, Chan Kyu; Jung, Ho Bum; Yeom, Geun Young [Memory Division Semiconductor Business, Samsung Electronics, San No. 16 Banwol-Ri, Taean-Eup, Hwasung-City, Gyeonggi-Do 449-711, South Korea and Department of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Memory Division Semiconductor Business, Samsung Electronics, San No. 16 Banwol-Ri, Taean-Eup, Hwasung-City, Gyeonggi-Do 449-711 (Korea, Republic of); Department of Chemical Engineering and Data Storage Systems Center, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213 (United States); Department of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 440-746 (Korea, Republic of)

2012-11-15

The oxidation characteristics of tungsten line pattern during the carbon-based mask-layer removal process using oxygen plasmas have been investigated for sub-50 nm patterning processes, in addition to the reduction characteristics of the WO{sub x} layer formed on the tungsten line surface using hydrogen plasmas. The surface oxidation of tungsten lines during the mask layer removal process could be minimized by using low-temperature (300 K) plasma processing for the removal of the carbon-based material. Using this technique, the thickness of WO{sub x} on the tungsten line could be decreased to 25% compared to results from high-temperature processing. The WO{sub x} layer could also be completely removed at a low temperature of 300 K using a hydrogen plasma by supplying bias power to the tungsten substrate to provide a activation energy for the reduction. When this oxidation and reduction technique was applied to actual 40-nm-CD device processing, the complete removal of WO{sub x} formed on the sidewall of tungsten line could be observed.

Growth and characterization of semi-polar (11-22) GaN on patterned (113) Si substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, J; Yu, X; Gong, Y; Hou, Y N; Zhang, Y; Wang, T

2015-01-01

Patterned (113) Si substrates have been fabricated for the growth of (11-22) semi-polar GaN, which completely eliminates one of the great issues in the growth of semi-polar GaN on silicon substrates, ‘Ga melting-back’. Furthermore, unlike any other mask patterning approaches which normally lead to parallel grooves along a particular orientation, our approach is to form periodic square window patterns. As a result, crack-free semi-polar (11-22) GaN with a significant improvement in crystal quality has been achieved, in particular, basal stacking faults (BSFs) have been significantly reduced. The mechanism for the defect suppression has been investigated based on detailed transmission electron microscopy measurements. It has been found that the BSFs can be impeded effectively at an early growth stage due to the priority growth along the 〈0001〉 direction. The additional 〈1-100〉 lateral growth above the masks results in a further reduction in dislocation density. The significant reduction in BSFs has been confirmed by low temperature photoluminescence measurements. (paper)

Enhancing the Properties of Carbon and Gold Substrates by Surface Modification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harnisch, Jennifer Anne [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2001-01-01

The properties of both carbon and gold substrates are easily affected by the judicious choice of a surface modification protocol. Several such processes for altering surface composition have been published in literature. The research presented in this thesis primarily focuses on the development of on-column methods to modify carbon stationary phases used in electrochemically modulated liquid chromatography (EMLC). To this end, both porous graphitic carbon (PGC) and glassy carbon (GC) particles have been modified on-column by the electroreduction of arenediazonium salts and the oxidation of arylacetate anions (the Kolbe reaction). Once modified, the carbon stationary phases show enhanced chromatographic performance both in conventional liquid chromatographic columns and EMLC columns. Additionally, one may also exploit the creation of aryl films to by electroreduction of arenediazonium salts in the creation of nanostructured materials. The formation of mercaptobenzene film on the surface of a GC electrode provides a linking platform for the chemisorption of gold nanoparticles. After deposition of nanoparticles, the surface chemistry of the gold can be further altered by self-assembled monolayer (SAM) formation via the chemisorption of a second thiol species. Finally, the properties of gold films can be altered such that they display carbon-like behavior through the formation of benzenehexathiol (BHT) SAMs. BHT chemisorbs to the gold surface in a previously unprecedented planar fashion. Carbon and gold substrates can be chemically altered by several methodologies resulting in new surface properties. The development of modification protocols and their application in the analytical arena is considered herein.

Kinetics of directed self-assembly of block copolymers on chemically patterned substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Müller, Marcus; Li, Weihua; Rey, Juan Carlos Orozco; Welling, Ulrich

2015-01-01

Chemically patterned surfaces have been successfully employed to direct the kinetics of self-assembly of block copolymers into dense, periodic morphologies (”chemoepitaxy”). Significant efforts have been directed towards understanding the kinetics of structure formation and, particularly, the formation and annihilation of defects. In the present manuscript we use computer simulations of a soft, coarse-grained polymer model to study the kinetics of structure formation of lamellar-forming block copolymer thin films on a chemical pattern of lines and spaces. The case where the copolymer material replicates the surface pattern and the more subtle scenario of sparse guiding patterns are considered. Our simulation results highlight (1) the importance of the early stages of pattern-directed self-assembly that template the subsequent morphology and (2) the dependence of the free-energy landscape on the incompatibility between the two blocks of the copolymer. (paper)

What Neural Substrates Trigger the Adept Scientific Pattern Discovery by Biologists?

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jun-Ki; Kwon, Yong-Ju

2011-04-01

This study investigated the neural correlates of experts and novices during biological object pattern detection using an fMRI approach in order to reveal the neural correlates of a biologist's superior pattern discovery ability. Sixteen healthy male participants (8 biologists and 8 non-biologists) volunteered for the study. Participants were shown fifteen series of organism pictures and asked to detect patterns amid stimulus pictures. Primary findings showed significant activations in the right middle temporal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule amongst participants in the biologist (expert) group. Interestingly, the left superior temporal gyrus was activated in participants from the non-biologist (novice) group. These results suggested that superior pattern discovery ability could be related to a functional facilitation of the parieto-temporal network, which is particularly driven by the right middle temporal gyrus and inferior parietal lobule in addition to the recruitment of additional brain regions. Furthermore, the functional facilitation of the network might actually pertain to high coherent processing skills and visual working memory capacity. Hence, study results suggested that adept scientific thinking ability can be detected by neuronal substrates, which may be used as criteria for developing and evaluating a brain-based science curriculum and test instrument.

Influence of Surface Geometry of Grating Substrate on Director in Nematic Liquid Crystal Cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye Wenjiang; Xing Hongyu; Yang Guochen; Zhang Zhidong; Sun Yubao; Chen Guoying; Xuan Li

2011-01-01

The director in nematic liquid crystal cell with a weak anchoring grating substrate and a strong anchoring planar substrate is relative to the coordinates x and z. The influence of the surface geometry of the grating substrate in the cell on the director profile is numerically simulated using the two-dimensional finite-difference iterative method under the condition of one elastic constant approximation and zero driven voltage. The deepness of groove and the cell gap affect the distribution of director. For the relatively shallow groove and the relatively thick cell gap, the director is only dependent on the coordinate z. For the relatively deep groove and the relatively thin cell gap, the director must be dependent on the two coordinates x and z because of the increased elastic strain energy induced by the grating surface. (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

Dewetting of thin liquid films on chemically patterned substrates : front propatation along narrow lyophobic stripes and stripe arrays

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brasjen, B.J.; Gu, H.; Darhuber, A.A.

2013-01-01

Using experiments and numerical simulations, we investigate the dewetting of thin liquid films on chemically patterned substrates. The patterns consist of long and narrow hydrophobic stripes, separated by larger hydrophilic domains. We characterize the morphology and dynamics of the dewetting front

Cells immobilized on patterns printed in DNA by an inkjet printer.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakurai, Kengo; Teramura, Yuji; Iwata, Hiroo

2011-05-01

The ability to two-dimensionally align various kinds of cells freely onto substrate would be a useful tool for analysis of cell-cell interactions. In this study, we aimed to establish a method for attaching cells to the substrate, in which the pattern is drawn by an inkjet printer. Poly-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was immobilized onto the cell surface by use of DNA-conjugated poly(ethylene) glycol-phospholipid (DNA-PEG-lipid), which is the amphiphilic conjugate of PEG-lipid and single-stranded DNA. The surface of the substrate was then modified with the complementary DNA using an inkjet printer. Finally, DNA-immobilized cells were attached onto the substrate through DNA hybridization. The use of the inkjet printer enabled us to draw the DNA pattern accurately on the substrate with a resolution of a few hundred micrometers. DNA-immobilized cells could be attached precisely along the DNA pattern on the substrate. In addition, various kinds of cells could be attached simultaneously by using various sequences of DNA. Our technique is promising for analysis of cell-cell interactions and differentiation induction in stem cell research. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thiolated poly(ɛ-caprolactone) macroligand with vacant coordination sites on gold substrate: Synthesis and surface characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Farah, Abdiaziz A.; Zheng, Susan H.; Morin, Sylvie; Bensebaa, Farid; Pietro, William J.

2007-04-01

Surface-confined telechelic poly(ɛ-caprolactone) macroligand with two distinct functional groups per polymeric chain has been synthesized and characterized. The molecular microstructure of the macroligand with regard to the properties of the end-capped functionalities and with those on surface substrate has been studied by solution and surface analytical methods (i.e., X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), grazing angle reflectance-Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (GA-FTIR), water contact angle measurements, and atomic force microscopy (AFM)) to elucidate the structure and properties of such multifunctional polymer on gold (1 1 1) substrate.

Periodic nanostructures fabricated on GaAs surface by UV pulsed laser interference

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Wei; Huo, Dayun; Guo, Xiaoxiang; Rong, Chen; Shi, Zhenwu, E-mail: zwshi@suda.edu.cn; Peng, Changsi, E-mail: changsipeng@suda.edu.cn

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Periodic nanostructures were fabricated on GaAs wafers by four-beam laser interference patterning which have potential applications in many fields. • Significant different results were obtained on epi-ready and homo-epitaxial GaAs substrate surfaces. • Two-pulse patterning was carried out on homo-epitaxial GaAs substrate, a noticeable morphology transformation induced by the second pulse was observed. • Temperature distribution on sample surface as a function of time and position was calculated by solving the heat diffusion equations. The calculation agrees well with the experiment results. - Abstract: In this paper, periodic nanostructures were fabricated on GaAs wafers by four-beam UV pulsed laser interference patterning. Significant different results were observed on epi-ready and homo-epitaxial GaAs substrate surfaces, which suggests GaAs oxide layer has an important effect on pulsed laser irradiation process. In the case of two-pulse patterning, a noticeable morphology transformation induced by the second pulse was observed on homo-epitaxial GaAs substrate. Based on photo-thermal mode, temperature distribution on sample surface as a function of time and position was calculated by solving the heat diffusion equations.

Selective binding of oligonucleotide on TiO2 surfaces modified by swift heavy ion beam lithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vicente Pérez-Girón, J.; Hirtz, M.; McAtamney, C.; Bell, A.P.; Antonio Mas, J.; Jaafar, M.; Luis, O. de; Fuchs, H.

2014-01-01

We have used swift heavy-ion beam based lithography to create patterned bio-functional surfaces on rutile TiO 2 single crystals. The applied lithography method generates a permanent and well defined periodic structure of micrometre sized square holes having nanostructured TiO 2 surfaces, presenting different physical and chemical properties compared to the surrounding rutile single crystal surface. On the patterned substrates selective binding of oligonucleotides molecules is possible at the surfaces of the holes. This immobilisation process is only being controlled by UV light exposure. The patterned transparent substrates are compatible with fluorescence detection techniques, are mechanically robust, have a high tolerance to extreme chemical and temperature environments, and apparently do not degrade after ten cycles of use. These qualities make the patterned TiO 2 substrates useful for potential biosensor applications

Nanopatterning of swinging substrates by ion-beam sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoon, Sun Mi; Kim, J.-S., E-mail: jskim@sm.ac.kr [Department of Physics, Sookmyung Women' s University, Seoul 140-742 (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-28

Graphite substrates are azimuthally swung during ion-beam sputtering (IBS) at a polar angle θ = 78° from the surface normal. The swinging of the substrate not only causes quasi-two-dimensional mass transport but also makes various sputter effects from the different incident angles to work together. Through variation of the swing angle, both the transport and sputtering effects synergistically produce a series of salient patterns, such as asymmetric wall-like structures, which can grow to several tens of nanometers and exhibit a re-entrant orientational change with the increased swing angle. Thus, the present work demonstrates that dynamic variables such as the swing angle, which have been little utilized, offer an additional parameter space that can be exploited to diversify the sputtered patterns, thereby expanding the applicability of an IBS as well as the comprehension of the IBS nano patterning mechanism.

Nanopatterning of swinging substrates by ion-beam sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Sun Mi; Kim, J.-S.

2016-01-01

Graphite substrates are azimuthally swung during ion-beam sputtering (IBS) at a polar angle θ = 78° from the surface normal. The swinging of the substrate not only causes quasi-two-dimensional mass transport but also makes various sputter effects from the different incident angles to work together. Through variation of the swing angle, both the transport and sputtering effects synergistically produce a series of salient patterns, such as asymmetric wall-like structures, which can grow to several tens of nanometers and exhibit a re-entrant orientational change with the increased swing angle. Thus, the present work demonstrates that dynamic variables such as the swing angle, which have been little utilized, offer an additional parameter space that can be exploited to diversify the sputtered patterns, thereby expanding the applicability of an IBS as well as the comprehension of the IBS nano patterning mechanism.

COATING OF POLYMERIC SUBSTRATE CATALYSTS ON METALLIC SURFACES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. HOSSEINI

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This article presents results of a study on coating of a polymeric substrate ca-talyst on metallic surface. Stability of coating on metallic surfaces is a proper specification. Sol-gel technology was used to synthesize adhesion promoters of polysilane compounds that act as a mediator. The intermediate layer was coated by synthesized sulfonated polystyrene-divinylbenzene as a catalyst for production of MTBE in catalytic distillation process. Swelling of catalyst and its separation from the metal surface was improved by i increasing the quantity of divinylbenzene in the resin’s production process and ii applying adhesion pro¬moters based on the sol-gel process. The rate of ethyl silicate hydrolysis was intensified by increasing the concentration of utilized acid while the conden¬sation polymerization was enhanced in the presence of OH–. Sol was formed at pH 2, while the pH should be 8 for the formation of gel. By setting the ratio of the initial concentrations of water to ethyl silicate to 8, the gel formation time was minimized.

Formation of patterned arrays of Au nanoparticles on SiC surface by template confined dewetting of normal and oblique deposited nanoscale films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruffino, F., E-mail: francesco.ruffino@ct.infn.it; Grimaldi, M.G.

2013-06-01

We report on the formation of patterned arrays of Au nanoparticles (NPs) on 6H SiC surface. To this end, we exploit the thermal-induced dewetting properties of a template confined deposited nanoscale Au film. In this approach, the Au surface pattern order, on the SiC substrate, is established by a template confined deposition using a micrometric template. Then, a dewetting process of the patterned Au film is induced by thermal processes. We compare the results, about the patterns formation, obtained for normal and oblique deposited Au films. We show that the normal and oblique depositions, through the same template, originate different patterns of the Au film. As a consequence of these different starting patterns, after the thermal processes, different patterns for the arrays of NPs originating from the dewetting mechanisms are obtained. For each fixed deposition angle α, the pattern evolution is analyzed, by scanning electron microscopy, as a function of the annealing time at 1173 K (900 °C). From these analyses, quantitative evaluations on the NPs size evolution are drawn. - Highlights: • Micrometric template-confined nanoscale gold films are deposited on silicon carbide. • The dewetting process of template-confined gold films on silicon carbide is studied. • Comparison of dewetting process of normal and oblique deposited gold films is drawn. • Patterned arrays of gold nanoparticles on silicon carbide surface are produced.

Formation of patterned arrays of Au nanoparticles on SiC surface by template confined dewetting of normal and oblique deposited nanoscale films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruffino, F.; Grimaldi, M.G.

2013-01-01

We report on the formation of patterned arrays of Au nanoparticles (NPs) on 6H SiC surface. To this end, we exploit the thermal-induced dewetting properties of a template confined deposited nanoscale Au film. In this approach, the Au surface pattern order, on the SiC substrate, is established by a template confined deposition using a micrometric template. Then, a dewetting process of the patterned Au film is induced by thermal processes. We compare the results, about the patterns formation, obtained for normal and oblique deposited Au films. We show that the normal and oblique depositions, through the same template, originate different patterns of the Au film. As a consequence of these different starting patterns, after the thermal processes, different patterns for the arrays of NPs originating from the dewetting mechanisms are obtained. For each fixed deposition angle α, the pattern evolution is analyzed, by scanning electron microscopy, as a function of the annealing time at 1173 K (900 °C). From these analyses, quantitative evaluations on the NPs size evolution are drawn. - Highlights: • Micrometric template-confined nanoscale gold films are deposited on silicon carbide. • The dewetting process of template-confined gold films on silicon carbide is studied. • Comparison of dewetting process of normal and oblique deposited gold films is drawn. • Patterned arrays of gold nanoparticles on silicon carbide surface are produced

Formation and Characterization of Inkjet-Printed Nanosilver Lines on Plasma-Treated Glass Substrates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae-Sung Kwon

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this study, we investigated geometrical characteristics of the inkjet-printed lines with non-zero receding contact angle (CA on plasma-treated substrates in terms of various printing variables and analyzed the fluidic behavior and hydrodynamic instability involved in the line formation process. The printing variables included surface energy, droplet overlap ratio, printing frequency, a number of ink droplets, substrate temperature and printing procedures. For the study, a colloidal suspension containing 56 wt % silver nanoparticles in tetradecane solvent was used as a printing ink. It has electrical resistivity of 4.7 μΩ·cm. The substrates were obtained by performing a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD process with C4F8 and O2 under various treatment conditions. As results of the experiments, the surface shape and pattern of the inkjet-printed Ag lines were dominantly influenced by the surface energy of the substrates, among the printing variables. Accordingly even when the receding CA was non-zero, bulging instability of the lines occurred forming separate circular patterns or regular bulges connected by ridges. It is a new finding of this study, which is completely different with the bulging instability of inkjet lines with zero receding CA specified by previous researches. The bulging instability decreased by increasing surface temperature of the substrates or employing interlacing procedure instead of continuous procedure for printing. The interlacing procedure also was advantageous to fabricate thick and narrow Ag lines with well-defined shape through overprinting on a hydrophobic substrate. These results will contribute greatly to not only the production of various printed electronics containing high-aspect-ratio structures but also the improvement of working performance of the devices.

Modification of Surface Roughness and Area of FeCrAl Substrate for Catalytic Converter using Ultrasonic Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanuandri Putrasari

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Surface roughness and area play important role especially in deposition and reaction of the catalyst in the catalytic converter substrate. The aim of this paper is to show the modification of surface roughness and area of FeCrAl substrate for catalytic converter using ultrasonic method. The method was conducted by agitating the FeCrAl in 10 minutes 35 kHz ultrasonic cleaning bath. The  surface roughness, morphology, and chemical components of FeCrAl catalytic converter substrate after ultrasonic treatment were analyzed using atomic force microscope (AFM and examined with scanning electron microscope (SEM in combination with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS. The ultrasonic treatment assisted with Al2O3 powders successfully increased the roughness and surface area of FeCrAl better than SiC powders. 

Influence of different aspect ratios on the structural and electrical properties of GaN thin films grown on nanoscale-patterned sapphire substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Fang-Wei [Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan (China); Ke, Wen-Cheng, E-mail: wcke@mail.ntust.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Cheng, Chun-Hong; Liao, Bo-Wei; Chen, Wei-Kuo [Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao-Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan (China)

2016-07-01

Highlights: • Nanoscale patterned sapphire substrate was prepared by anodic-aluminum-oxide etching mask. • Influence of aspect ratio of NPSS on structural and electrical properties of GaN films was studied. • Low dislocation density and high carrier mobility of GaN films were grown on high aspect ratio NPSS. - Abstract: This study presents GaN thin films grown on nanoscale-patterned sapphire substrates (NPSSs) with different aspect ratios (ARs) using a homemade metal-organic chemical vapor deposition system. The anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) technique is used to prepare the dry etching mask. The cross-sectional view of the scanning electron microscope image shows that voids exist between the interface of the GaN thin film and the high-AR (i.e. ∼2) NPSS. In contrast, patterns on the low-AR (∼0.7) NPSS are filled full of GaN. The formation of voids on the high-AR NPSS is believed to be due to the enhancement of the lateral growth in the initial growth stage, and the quick-merging GaN thin film blocks the precursors from continuing to supply the bottom of the pattern. The atomic force microscopy images of GaN on bare sapphire show a layer-by-layer surface morphology, which becomes a step-flow surface morphology for GaN on a high-AR NPSS. The edge-type threading dislocation density can be reduced from 7.1 × 10{sup 8} cm{sup −2} for GaN on bare sapphire to 4.9 × 10{sup 8} cm{sup −2} for GaN on a high-AR NPSS. In addition, the carrier mobility increases from 85 cm{sup 2}/Vs for GaN on bare sapphire to 199 cm{sup 2}/Vs for GaN on a high-AR NPSS. However, the increased screw-type threading dislocation density for GaN on a low-AR NPSS is due to the competition of lateral growth on the flat-top patterns and vertical growth on the bottom of the patterns that causes the material quality of the GaN thin film to degenerate. Thus, the experimental results indicate that the AR of the particular patterning of a NPSS plays a crucial role in achieving GaN thin film with

Simple method to transfer graphene from metallic catalytic substrates to flexible surfaces without chemical etching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, P J; Takahashi, H; Sakai, H; Thu, T V; Okada, H; Sandhu, A; Koide, S

2013-01-01

Graphene shows promise for applications in flexible electronics. Here, we describe our procedure to transfer graphene grown on copper substrates by chemical vapor deposition to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and SiO 2 /Si surfaces. The transfer of graphene was achieved by a simple, etching-free method onto flexible PDMS substrates.

Preparation and Wetting Behavior of Lyophobic Surface on Zinc Substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HAN Xiang-xiang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Micro-nano structure on zinc substrate was fabricated through the combination of chemical etching with hydrochloric acid aqueous solution and hydrothermal reaction. After modification with perfluorooctanoic solution, the lyophobic surface was prepared. The phase composition, microstructure, chemical composition, and wettability of the as-obtained surface were investigated by X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, and contact angle tester. The results show that a layer of ZnO nano-rods grows on the surface of the submicrometer structure, and exhibits good resistance to water impact and stability under the combined action of low surface energy material. When hydrochloric acid concentration is 1.0mol/L and hydrothermal reaction temperature is 95℃, the lyophobic surface possesses the best morphology of ZnO nano-rods. The maximum contact angles of distilled water and peanut oil are 154.65° and 144.65°, respectively, and the sliding angle is less than 10°.

Tuning the adhesion between polyimide substrate and MWCNTs/epoxy nanocomposite by surface treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Bouhamed, Ayda; Kia, Alireza Mohammadian; Naifar, Slim; Dzhagan, Volodymyr; Müller, Christian; Zahn, Dietrich R. T.; Choura, Slim; Kanoun, Olfa

2017-11-01

MWCNTs/epoxy nanocomposite thin films are coated on the polyimide (PI) flexible substrate, to be used as a strain sensor. Previous studies showed that the adhesion between polyimide and other materials are very poor. In this work, two approaches, oxygen plasma cleaning and simple solvent cleaning are performed for activation of the polyimide surface. In order to understand the impact of both cleaning techniques, the physicochemical properties of PI are measured and characterized using contact angle measurements (CAMs), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In addition, the adhesion properties of PI/[MWCNTs/epoxy] systems by varying surface treatment time are investigated and evaluated using force-distance measurements by AFM. The results illustrate that the activated surface exhibits higher surface energy for oxygen plasma cleaning in comparison with the solvent cleaning method. The improvement can be related to the increase of oxygen concentration, which is accompanied by the enhancement of the polar component to 53.79 mN/m due to the formation of functional groups on the surface and the change of the substrate surface roughness from 1.72 nm to 15.5 nm. As a result, improved adhesion was observed from force-distance measurement between PI/[MWCNTs/epoxy] systems due to oxygen plasma effects.

Surface functionalization by fine ultraviolet-patterning of nanometer-thick liquid lubricant films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Renguo; Zhang, Hedong; Komada, Suguru; Mitsuya, Yasunaga; Fukuzawa, Kenji; Itoh, Shintaro

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We present fine UV-patterning of nm-thick liquid films for surface functionalization. • The patterned films exhibit both a morphological pattern and a functional pattern of different surface properties. • The finest pattern linewidth was 0.5 μm. • Fine patterning is crucial for improving surface and tribological properties. - Abstract: For micro/nanoscale devices, surface functionalization is essential to achieve function and performance superior to those that originate from the inherent bulk material properties. As a method of surface functionalization, we dip-coated nanometer-thick liquid lubricant films onto solid surfaces and then patterned the lubricant films with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation through a photomask. Surface topography, adhesion, and friction measurements demonstrated that the patterned films feature a concave–convex thickness distribution with thicker lubricant in the irradiated regions and a functional distribution with lower adhesion and friction in the irradiated convex regions. The pattern linewidth ranged from 100 to as fine as 0.5 μm. The surface functionalization effect of UV-patterning was investigated by measuring the water contact angles, surface energies, friction forces, and depletion of the patterned, as-dipped, and full UV-irradiated lubricant films. The full UV-irradiated lubricant film was hydrophobic with a water contact angle of 102.1°, and had lower surface energy, friction, and depletion than the as-dipped film, which was hydrophilic with a water contact angle of 80.7°. This demonstrates that UV irradiation substantially improves the surface and tribological properties of the nanometer-thick liquid lubricant films. The UV-patterned lubricant films exhibited superior surface and tribological properties than the as-dipped film. The water contact angle increased and the surface energy, friction, and depletion decreased as the pattern linewidth decreased. In particular, the 0.5-μm patterned lubricant

Ceramic substrate including thin film multilayer surface conductor

Science.gov (United States)

Wolf, Joseph Ambrose; Peterson, Kenneth A.

2017-05-09

A ceramic substrate comprises a plurality of ceramic sheets, a plurality of inner conductive layers, a plurality of vias, and an upper conductive layer. The ceramic sheets are stacked one on top of another and include a top ceramic sheet. The inner conductive layers include electrically conductive material that forms electrically conductive features on an upper surface of each ceramic sheet excluding the top ceramic sheet. The vias are formed in each of the ceramic sheets with each via being filled with electrically conductive material. The upper conductive layer includes electrically conductive material that forms electrically conductive features on an upper surface of the top ceramic sheet. The upper conductive layer is constructed from a stack of four sublayers. A first sublayer is formed from titanium. A second sublayer is formed from copper. A third sublayer is formed from platinum. A fourth sublayer is formed from gold.

Printing line/space patterns on nonplanar substrates using a digital micromirror device-based point-array scanning technique

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, Hung-Fei; Kao, Guan-Hsuan; Zhu, Liang-Xiu; Hung, Kuo-Shu; Lin, Yu-Hsin

2018-02-01

This study used a digital micromirror device (DMD) to produce point-array patterns and employed a self-developed optical system to define line-and-space patterns on nonplanar substrates. First, field tracing was employed to analyze the aerial images of the lithographic system, which comprised an optical system and the DMD. Multiobjective particle swarm optimization was then applied to determine the spot overlapping rate used. The objective functions were set to minimize linewidth and maximize image log slope, through which the dose of the exposure agent could be effectively controlled and the quality of the nonplanar lithography could be enhanced. Laser beams with 405-nm wavelength were employed as the light source. Silicon substrates coated with photoresist were placed on a nonplanar translation stage. The DMD was used to produce lithographic patterns, during which the parameters were analyzed and optimized. The optimal delay time-sequence combinations were used to scan images of the patterns. Finally, an exposure linewidth of less than 10 μm was successfully achieved using the nonplanar lithographic process.

Silver nanoparticles deposited on anodic aluminum oxide template using magnetron sputtering for surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wong-ek, Krongkamol [Nanoscience and Technology Program, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand); Eiamchai, Pitak; Horprathum, Mati; Patthanasettakul, Viyapol [National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Limnonthakul, Puenisara [Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Mongkut' s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok 10140 (Thailand); Chindaudom, Pongpan [National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand); Nuntawong, Noppadon, E-mail: noppadon.nuntawong@nectec.or.t [National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahonyothin Rd., Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120 (Thailand)

2010-09-30

Low-cost and highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates have been fabricated by a simple anodizing process and a magnetron sputtering deposition. The substrates, which consist of silver nanoparticles embedded on anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates, are investigated by a scanning electron microscope and a confocal Raman spectroscopy. The SERS activities are demonstrated by Raman scattering from adsorbed solutions of methylene blue and pyridine on the SERS substrate surface. The most optimized SERS substrate contains the silver nanoparticles, with a size distribution of 10-30 nm, deposited on the AAO template. From a calculation, the SERS enhancement factor is as high as 8.5 x 10{sup 7}, which suggests strong potentials for direct applications in the chemical detection and analyses.

Molecular-beam epitaxial growth of insulating AlN on surface-controlled 6H-SiC substrate by HCl gas etching

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Onojima, Norio; Suda, Jun; Matsunami, Hiroyuki

2002-01-01

Insulating AlN layers were grown on surface-controlled 6H-SiC subtrates by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) using elemental Al and rf plasma-excited nitrogen (N*). HCl gas etching was introduced as an effective pretreatment method of substrate for MBE growth of AlN. 6H-SiC substrates pretreated by HCl gas etching had no surface polishing scratches and an atomically flat surface. In addition, evident ( 3 √x 3 √)R30 deg. surface reconstruction was observed even before thermal cleaning. AlN layers grown on this substrate had no defects related to surface polishing scratches and excellent insulating characteristics

Roles for SH2 and SH3 domains in Lyn kinase association with activated FcepsilonRI in RBL mast cells revealed by patterned surface analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, Stephanie; Wagenknecht-Wiesner, Alice; Veatch, Sarah L; Holowka, David; Baird, Barbara

2009-10-01

In mast cells, antigen-mediated cross-linking of IgE bound to its high-affinity surface receptor, FcepsilonRI, initiates a signaling cascade that culminates in degranulation and release of allergic mediators. Antigen-patterned surfaces, in which the antigen is deposited in micron-sized features on a silicon substrate, were used to examine the spatial relationship between clustered IgE-FcepsilonRI complexes and Lyn, the signal-initiating tyrosine kinase. RBL mast cells expressing wild-type Lyn-EGFP showed co-redistribution of this protein with clustered IgE receptors on antigen-patterned surfaces, whereas Lyn-EGFP containing an inhibitory point mutation in its SH2 domain did not significantly accumulate with the patterned antigen, and Lyn-EGFP with an inhibitory point mutation in its SH3 domain exhibited reduced interactions. Our results using antigen-patterned surfaces and quantitative cross-correlation image analysis reveal that both the SH2 and SH3 domains contribute to interactions between Lyn kinase and cross-linked IgE receptors in stimulated mast cells.

Bottom-up fabrication of paper-based microchips by blade coating of cellulose microfibers on a patterned surface.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Bingbing; Liu, Hong; Gu, Zhongze

2014-12-23

We report a method for the bottom-up fabrication of paper-based capillary microchips by the blade coating of cellulose microfibers on a patterned surface. The fabrication process is similar to the paper-making process in which an aqueous suspension of cellulose microfibers is used as the starting material and is blade-coated onto a polypropylene substrate patterned using an inkjet printer. After water evaporation, the cellulose microfibers form a porous, hydrophilic, paperlike pattern that wicks aqueous solution by capillary action. This method enables simple, fast, inexpensive fabrication of paper-based capillary channels with both width and height down to about 10 μm. When this method is used, the capillary microfluidic chip for the colorimetric detection of glucose and total protein is fabricated, and the assay requires only 0.30 μL of sample, which is 240 times smaller than for paper devices fabricated using photolithography.

Ultrasmooth Patterned Metals for Plasmonics and Metamaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Nagpal, Prashant; Lindquist, Nathan C.; Oh, Sang-Hyun; Norris, David J.

2009-07-01

Surface plasmons are electromagnetic waves that can exist at metal interfaces because of coupling between light and free electrons. Restricted to travel along the interface, these waves can be channeled, concentrated, or otherwise manipulated by surface patterning. However, because surface roughness and other inhomogeneities have so far limited surface-plasmon propagation in real plasmonic devices, simple high-throughput methods are needed to fabricate high-quality patterned metals. We combined template stripping with precisely patterned silicon substrates to obtain ultrasmooth pure metal films with grooves, bumps, pyramids, ridges, and holes. Measured surface-plasmon-propagation lengths on the resulting surfaces approach theoretical values for perfectly flat films. With the use of our method, we demonstrated structures that exhibit Raman scattering enhancements above 107 for sensing applications and multilayer films for optical metamaterials.

Influence of substrate preparation on the shaping of the topography of the surface of nanoceramic oxide layers

Science.gov (United States)

Bara, Marek; Kubica, Marek

2014-02-01

The paper discusses the shaping mechanism and changes occurring in the structure and topography of the surface of nanoceramic oxide layers during their formation. The paper presents the influence of substrate preparation on the surface topography of oxide layers. The layers were produced via hard anodizing on the EN AW-5251 aluminum alloy. The layers obtained were subjected to microscope examinations, image and chemical composition analyses, and stereometric examinations. Heredity of substrate properties in the topography of the surface of nanoceramic oxide layers formed as a result of electrochemical oxidation has been shown.

Laser-induced oxidation of titanium substrate: Analysis of the physicochemical structure of the surface and sub-surface layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antończak, Arkadiusz J., E-mail: arkadiusz.antonczak@pwr.edu.pl [Laser and Fiber Electronics Group, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Technology, Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw (Poland); Skowroński, Łukasz; Trzcinski, Marek [Institute of Mathematics and Physics, University of Technology and Life Sciences, Kaliskiego 7, 85-789 Bydgoszcz (Poland); Kinzhybalo, Vasyl V. [Wroclaw Research Centre EIT+, Stabłowicka 147, 54-066 Wrocław (Poland); Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Okólna 2, 50-422 Wrocław (Poland); Łazarek, Łukasz K.; Abramski, Krzysztof M. [Laser and Fiber Electronics Group, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Wroclaw University of Technology, Wyb. Wyspianskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw (Poland)

2015-01-15

Highlights: • Chemical structure of the films induced by laser on titanium surface was analyzed. • It was shown that outer layer of this films consist of oxides doped with nitrogen. • The optical properties of the laser-induced oxynitride films were characterized. • We found that the films demonstrated significant absorption in the band of 300–580 nm. • The morphology of the layers as a function of the laser fluence was investigated. - Abstract: This paper presents the results of the analysis of the complex chemical structure of the layers made on titanium in the process of the heating of its surfaces in an atmospheric environment, by irradiating samples with a nanosecond-pulsed laser. The study was carried out for electroplated, high purity, polycrystalline titanium substrates using a Yb:glass fiber laser. All measurements were made for samples irradiated in a broad range of accumulated fluence, below the ablation threshold. It has been determined how the complex index of refraction of both the oxynitride layers and the substrate vary as a function of accumulated laser fluence. It was also shown that the top layer of the film produced on titanium, which is transparent, is not a pure TiO{sub 2} as had been supposed before. The XPS and XRD analyses confirmed the presence of nitrogen compounds and the existence of nonstoichiometric compounds. By sputtering of the sample's surface using an Ar{sup +} ion gun, the changes in the concentration of individual elements as a function of the layer's cross-section were determined. Lastly, an analysis of the surface morphology has also been carried out, explaining why the layers crack and exfoliate from their substrate.

Selective binding of oligonucleotide on TiO{sub 2} surfaces modified by swift heavy ion beam lithography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vicente Pérez-Girón, J. [Nanoate, S.L. C/Poeta Rafael Morales 2, San Sebastian de los Reyes, 28702 Madrid (Spain); Emerging Viruses Department Heinrich Pette Institute, Hamburg 20251 (Germany); Hirtz, M. [Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) and Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMF), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - KIT, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); McAtamney, C.; Bell, A.P. [Advanced Microscopy Laboratory, CRANN, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2 (Ireland); Antonio Mas, J. [Laboratorio de Genómica del Centro de Apoyo Tecnológico, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Campus de Alcorcón 28922, Madrid (Spain); Jaafar, M. [Nanoate, S.L. C/Poeta Rafael Morales 2, San Sebastian de los Reyes, 28702 Madrid (Spain); Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Campus de Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Luis, O. de [Nanoate, S.L. C/Poeta Rafael Morales 2, San Sebastian de los Reyes, 28702 Madrid (Spain); Departamento de Bioquímica, Fisiología y Genética Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Campus de Alcorcón, 28922 Madrid (Spain); Fuchs, H. [Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) and Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMF), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - KIT, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany); Physical Institute and Center for Nanotechnology (CeNTech), Wilhelm-Klemm-Straße 10, University of Münster (Germany); and others

2014-11-15

We have used swift heavy-ion beam based lithography to create patterned bio-functional surfaces on rutile TiO{sub 2} single crystals. The applied lithography method generates a permanent and well defined periodic structure of micrometre sized square holes having nanostructured TiO{sub 2} surfaces, presenting different physical and chemical properties compared to the surrounding rutile single crystal surface. On the patterned substrates selective binding of oligonucleotides molecules is possible at the surfaces of the holes. This immobilisation process is only being controlled by UV light exposure. The patterned transparent substrates are compatible with fluorescence detection techniques, are mechanically robust, have a high tolerance to extreme chemical and temperature environments, and apparently do not degrade after ten cycles of use. These qualities make the patterned TiO{sub 2} substrates useful for potential biosensor applications.

Self-organized nickel nanoparticles on nanostructured silicon substrate intermediated by a titanium oxynitride (TiNxOy) interface

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, M.; Droppa, R., Jr.; de Mello, S. R. S.; Figueroa, C. A.; Zanatta, A. R.; Alvarez, F.

2018-01-01

In this work we report an experimental approach by combining in situ sequential top-down and bottom-up processes to induce the organization of nanosized nickel particles. The top-down process consists in xenon ion bombardment of a crystalline silicon substrate to generate a pattern, followed by depositing a ˜15 nm titanium oxynitride thin film to act as a metallic diffusion barrier. Then, metallic nanoparticles are deposited by argon ion sputtering a pure nickel target, and the sample is annealed to promote the organization of the nickel nanoparticles (a bottom-up process). According to the experimental results, the surface pattern and the substrate biaxial surface strain are the driving forces behind the alignment and organization of the nickel nanoparticles. Moreover, the ratio between the F of metallic atoms arriving at the substrate relative to its surface diffusion mobility determines the nucleation regime of the nickel nanoparticles. These features are presented and discussed considering the existing technical literature on the subject.

Physical masking process for integrating micro metallic structures on polymer substrate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Islam, Mohammad Aminul; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2009-01-01

plasmon devices need micro metallic structures on a polymer substrate with an uniform metal layer thickness in the nanometer range. A well known fabrication process to achieve such metallic surface pattern on polymer substrate is photolithography which involves an expensive mask and toxic chemicals......Integration of micro metallic structures in polymer devices is a broad multi-disciplinary research field, consisting of various combinations of mechanical, chemical and physical fabrication methods. Each of the methods has its specific advantages and disadvantages. Some applications like surface....... The current study shows a novel approach for fabricating thin micro metallic structures on polymer substrates using a simple physical mask and a PVD equipment. The new process involves fewer process steps, it is cost effective and suitable for high volume industrial production. Current study suggests...

Submicron Surface-Patterned Fibers and Textiles

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-04

www.statista.com/ statistics /263154/ worldwide -production-volume-of-textile-fibers- since-1975/ (accessed October 26, 2016). [2] W. S. Perkins, Textile coloration...Engineering. Submitted to 2 Presently, the worldwide annual production volume of textile fibers is nearly one hundred million metric tons... stress where viscous forces dominate and surface energy- driven deformations are kinetically restrained. A specific example of a surface-patterned

Quantitatively Probing the Means of Controlling Nanoparticle Assembly on Surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patete, J.m.; Wong, S.; Peng, X.; Serafin, J.M.

2011-05-17

As a means of developing a simple, cost-effective, and reliable method for probing nanoparticle behavior, we have used atomic force microscopy to gain a quantitative 3D visual representation of the deposition patterns of citrate-capped Au nanoparticles on a substrate as a function of (a) sample preparation, (b) the choice of substrate, (c) the dispersion solvent, and (d) the number of loading steps. Specifically, we have found that all four parameters can be independently controlled and manipulated in order to alter the resulting pattern and quantity of as-deposited nanoparticles. From these data, the sample preparation technique appears to influence deposition patterns most broadly, and the dispersion solvent is the most convenient parameter to use in tuning the quantity of nanoparticles deposited onto the surface under spin-coating conditions. Indeed, we have quantitatively measured the effect of surface coverage for both mica and silicon substrates under preparation techniques associated with (i) evaporation under ambient air, (ii) heat treatment, and (iii) spin-coating preparation conditions. In addition, we have observed a decrease in nanoparticle adhesion to a substrate when the ethylene glycol content of the colloidal dispersion solvent is increased, which had the effect of decreasing interparticle-substrate interactions. Finally, we have shown that substrates prepared by these diverse techniques have potential applicability in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Quantitatively Probing the Means of Controlling Nanoparticle Assembly on Surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patete, J.M.; Wong, S.; Peng, X.; Serafin, J.M.

2011-01-01

As a means of developing a simple, cost-effective, and reliable method for probing nanoparticle behavior, we have used atomic force microscopy to gain a quantitative 3D visual representation of the deposition patterns of citrate-capped Au nanoparticles on a substrate as a function of (a) sample preparation, (b) the choice of substrate, (c) the dispersion solvent, and (d) the number of loading steps. Specifically, we have found that all four parameters can be independently controlled and manipulated in order to alter the resulting pattern and quantity of as-deposited nanoparticles. From these data, the sample preparation technique appears to influence deposition patterns most broadly, and the dispersion solvent is the most convenient parameter to use in tuning the quantity of nanoparticles deposited onto the surface under spin-coating conditions. Indeed, we have quantitatively measured the effect of surface coverage for both mica and silicon substrates under preparation techniques associated with (i) evaporation under ambient air, (ii) heat treatment, and (iii) spin-coating preparation conditions. In addition, we have observed a decrease in nanoparticle adhesion to a substrate when the ethylene glycol content of the colloidal dispersion solvent is increased, which had the effect of decreasing interparticle-substrate interactions. Finally, we have shown that substrates prepared by these diverse techniques have potential applicability in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Electron microscopy study of the microstructure of Ni–W substrate surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ovcharov, A. V.; Karateev, I. A.; Mikhutkin, A. A. [National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute,” (Russian Federation); Orekhov, A. S. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Shubnikov Institute of Crystallography, Federal Scientific Research Centre “Crystallography and Photonics,” (Russian Federation); Presniakov, M. Yu.; Chernykh, I. A.; Zanaveskin, M. L.; Kovalchuk, M. V.; Vasiliev, A. L., E-mail: a.vasiliev56@gmail.com [National Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute,” (Russian Federation)

2016-11-15

The surface microstructure of Ni–W alloy tapes, which are used as substrates to form films of high-temperature superconductors and photovoltaic devices, has been studied. Several samples of a Ni{sub 95}W{sub 5} tape (Evico) annealed under different conditions were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis, electron diffraction, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. NiWO{sub 4} precipitates are found on the surface of annealed samples. The growth of precipitates at a temperature of 950°C is accompanied by the formation of pores on the surface or under an oxide film. Depressions with a wedge-shaped profile are found at the grain boundaries. Annealing in a reducing atmosphere using a specially prepared chamber allows one to form a surface free of nickel tungstate precipitates.

Substrate Vibrations as Promoters of Chemical Reactivity on Metal Surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Victoria L; Chen, Nan; Guo, Han; Jackson, Bret; Utz, Arthur L

2015-12-17

Studies exploring how vibrational energy (Evib) promotes chemical reactivity most often focus on molecular reagents, leaving the role of substrate atom motion in heterogeneous interfacial chemistry underexplored. This combined theoretical and experimental study of methane dissociation on Ni(111) shows that lattice atom motion modulates the reaction barrier height during each surface atom's vibrational period, which leads to a strong variation in the reaction probability (S0) with surface temperature (Tsurf). State-resolved beam-surface scattering studies at Tsurf = 90 K show a sharp threshold in S0 at translational energy (Etrans) = 42 kJ/mol. When Etrans decreases from 42 kJ/mol to 34 kJ/mol, S0 decreases 1000-fold at Tsurf = 90 K, but only 2-fold at Tsurf = 475 K. Results highlight the mechanism for this effect, provide benchmarks for DFT calculations, and suggest the potential importance of surface atom induced barrier height modulation in heterogeneously catalyzed reactions, particularly on structurally labile nanoscale particles and defect sites.

A high-coverage nanoparticle monolayer for the fabrication of a subwavelength structure on InP substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Dae-Seon; Park, Min-Su; Jang, Jae-Hyung

2011-08-01

Subwavelength structures (SWSs) were fabricated on the Indium Phosphide (InP) substrate by utilizing the confined convective self-assembly (CCSA) method followed by reactive ion etching (RIE). The surface condition of the InP substrate was changed by depositing a 30-nm-thick SiO2 layer and subsequently treating the surface with O2 plasma to achieve better surface coverage. The surface coverage of nanoparticle monolayer reached 90% by using O2 plasma-treated SiO2/InP substrate among three kinds of starting substrates such as the bare InP, SiO2/InP and O2 plasma-treated SiO2/InP substrate. A nanoparticle monolayer consisting of polystyrene spheres with diameter of 300 nm was used as an etch mask for transferring a two-dimensional periodic pattern onto the InP substrate. The fabricated conical SWS with an aspect ratio of 1.25 on the O2 plasma-treated SiO2/InP substrate exhibited the lowest reflectance. The average reflectance of the conical SWS was 5.84% in a spectral range between 200 and 900 nm under the normal incident angle.

Nano rough micron patterned titanium for directing osteoblast morphology and adhesion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabrina Puckett

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Sabrina Puckett, Rajesh Pareta, Thomas J WebsterDivision of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI, USAAbstract: Previous studies have demonstrated greater functions of osteoblasts (bone-forming cells on nanophase compared with conventional metals. Nanophase metals possess a biologically inspired nanostructured surface that mimics the dimensions of constituent components in bone, including collagen and hydroxyapatite. Not only do these components possess dimensions on the nanoscale, they are aligned in a parallel manner creating a defined orientation in bone. To date, research has yet to evaluate the effect that organized nanosurface features can have on the interaction of osteoblasts with material surfaces. Therefore, to determine if surface orientation of features can mediate osteoblast adhesion and morphology, this study investigated osteoblast function on patterned titanium substrates containing alternating regions of micron rough and nano rough surfaces prepared by novel electron beam evaporation techniques. This study was also interested in determining whether or not the size of the patterned regions had an effect on osteoblast behavior and alignment. Results indicated early controlled osteoblast alignment on these patterned materials as well as greater osteoblast adhesion on the nano rough regions of these patterned substrates. Interestingly, decreasing the width of the nano rough regions (from 80 µm to 22 µm on these patterned substrates resulted in a decreased number of osteoblasts adhering to these areas. Changes in the width of the nano rough regions also resulted in changes in osteoblast morphology, thus, suggesting there is an optimal pattern dimension that osteoblasts prefer. In summary, results of this study provided evidence that aligned nanophase metal features on the surface of titanium improved early osteoblast functions (morphology and adhesion promising for their long term functions, criteria necessary to improve

Polishing Sapphire Substrates by 355 nm Ultraviolet Laser

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Wei

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper tries to investigate a novel polishing technology with high efficiency and nice surface quality for sapphire crystal that has high hardness, wear resistance, and chemical stability. A Q-switched 355 nm ultraviolet laser with nanosecond pulses was set up and used to polish sapphire substrate in different conditions in this paper. Surface roughness Ra of polished sapphire was measured with surface profiler, and the surface topography was observed with scanning electronic microscope. The effects of processing parameters as laser energy, pulse repetition rate, scanning speed, incident angle, scanning patterns, and initial surface conditions on surface roughness were analyzed.

A Twice Electrochemical-Etching Method to Fabricate Superhydrophobic-Superhydrophilic Patterns for Biomimetic Fog Harvest.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xiaolong; Song, Jinlong; Liu, Junkai; Liu, Xin; Jin, Zhuji

2017-08-18

Superhydrophobic-superhydrophilic patterned surfaces have attracted more and more attention due to their great potential applications in the fog harvest process. In this work, we developed a simple and universal electrochemical-etching method to fabricate the superhydrophobic-superhydrophilic patterned surface on metal superhydrophobic substrates. The anti-electrochemical corrosion property of superhydrophobic substrates and the dependence of electrochemical etching potential on the wettability of the fabricated dimples were investigated on Al samples. Results showed that high etching potential was beneficial for efficiently producing a uniform superhydrophilic dimple. Fabrication of long-term superhydrophilic dimples on the Al superhydrophobic substrate was achieved by combining the masked electrochemical etching and boiling-water immersion methods. A long-term wedge-shaped superhydrophilic dimple array was fabricated on a superhydrophobic surface. The fog harvest test showed that the surface with a wedge-shaped pattern array had high water collection efficiency. Condensing water on the pattern was easy to converge and depart due to the internal Laplace pressure gradient of the liquid and the contact angle hysteresis contrast on the surface. The Furmidge equation was applied to explain the droplet departing mechanism and to control the departing volume. The fabrication technique and research of the fog harvest process may guide the design of new water collection devices.

Analysis of the electrodeposition and surface chemistry of CdTe, CdSe, and CdS thin films through substrate-overlayer surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Junsi; Fahrenkrug, Eli; Maldonado, Stephen

2014-09-02

The substrate-overlayer approach has been used to acquire surface enhanced Raman spectra (SERS) during and after electrochemical atomic layer deposition (ECALD) of CdSe, CdTe, and CdS thin films. The collected data suggest that SERS measurements performed with off-resonance (i.e. far from the surface plasmonic wavelength of the underlying SERS substrate) laser excitation do not introduce perturbations to the ECALD processes. Spectra acquired in this way afford rapid insight on the quality of the semiconductor film during the course of an ECALD process. For example, SERS data are used to highlight ECALD conditions that yield crystalline CdSe and CdS films. In contrast, SERS measurements with short wavelength laser excitation show evidence of photoelectrochemical effects that were not germane to the intended ECALD process. Using the semiconductor films prepared by ECALD, the substrate-overlayer SERS approach also affords analysis of semiconductor surface adsorbates. Specifically, Raman spectra of benzenethiol adsorbed onto CdSe, CdTe, and CdS films are detailed. Spectral shifts in the vibronic features of adsorbate bonding suggest subtle differences in substrate-adsorbate interactions, highlighting the sensitivity of this methodology.

Cell behaviors on micro-patterned porous thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phong, Ho Quoc; Wang Shuling; Wang, Meng-Jiy

2010-01-01

Thin polymer films with patterned surfaces have drawn tremendous attention in manufacturing advanced electronic, mechanical devices and in biomaterials due to the advantageous properties such as mechanical strength, chemical resistance and optic transparency. The applications can be extended to the fields such as catalysts, antireflection coatings, template for inorganic growth masks, and substrates for cell culturing providing the patterned surface containing micron-sized features. Various methods have been used to fabricate polymers with micro-patterned surfaces such as photolithographic, ink-jet printing, nonsolvent, spin coating in a dry environment, self-organization, and the condensation of monodisperse water droplet on the polymer solution. The physiological functions of mature cells depend on the microenvironment/niche surrounding which can provide proper factors to regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. While designing appropriate scaffolds for tissue engineering, the microstructure is one of the most important factors to be considered. In this work, a facile single-step phase separation method was used to create micro-patterned polymer thin films with concaves or convexes with sizes ranged from 7 to 70 μm. The effects of water content, casting volume and the addition of surfactant on the distribution of pores and substrate morphology were examined. Moreover, detailed observations of fibroblast cells on the micro-patterned thin films were presented to compare and elucidate the roles of surface micro-features and chemical functionalities.

Construction of extracellular microenvironment to improve surface endothelialization of NiTi alloy substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Peng, E-mail: liupeng79@cqu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433 (China); Zhao, Yongchun; Yan, Ying; Hu, Yan; Yang, Weihu [Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Cai, Kaiyong, E-mail: kaiyong_cai@cqu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China)

2015-10-01

To mimic extracellular microenvironment of endothelial cell, a bioactive multilayered structure of gelatin/chitosan pair, embedding with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), was constructed onto NiTi alloy substrate surface via a layer-by-layer assembly technique. The successful fabrication of the multilayered structure was demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurement, attenuated total reflection-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The growth behaviors of endothelial cells on various NiTi alloy substrates were investigated in vitro. Cytoskeleton observation, MTT assay, and wound healing assay proved that the VEGF-embedded multilayer structure positively stimulated adhesion, proliferation and motogenic responses of endothelial cells. More importantly, the present system promoted the nitric oxide production of endothelial cells. The approach affords an alternative to construct extracellular microenvironment for improving surface endothelialization of a cardiovascular implant. - Highlights: • Biofunctional multilayer films mimicking extracellular microenvironment were successfully fabricated. • Multilayered structure stimulated the biological responses of endothelial cells. • The approach affords an efficient approach for surface endothelialization of stent implant.

Polarization Patterns of Transmitted Celestial Light under Wavy Water Surfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guanhua Zhou

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a model to describe the polarization patterns of celestial light, which includes sunlight and skylight, when refracted by wavy water surfaces. The polarization patterns and intensity distribution of refracted light through the wave water surface were calculated. The model was validated by underwater experimental measurements. The experimental and theoretical values agree well qualitatively. This work provides a quantitative description of the repolarization and transmittance of celestial light transmitted through wave water surfaces. The effects of wind speed and incident sources on the underwater refraction polarization patterns are discussed. Scattering skylight dominates the polarization patterns while direct solar light is the dominant source of the intensity of the underwater light field. Wind speed has an influence on disturbing the patterns under water.

Selective Growth and SERS Property of Gold Nanoparticles on Amorphized Silicon Surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuoka, T; Nishi, M; Sakakura, M; Shimotsuma, Y; Miura, K; Hirao, K

2011-01-01

We have fabricated gold patterns on a silicon substrate by a simple three-step method using a focused ion beam (FIB). The obtained gold patterns consisted of a large number of gold nanoparticles which grew selectively on the preprocessed silicon surface from an Au ion-containing solution dropped on the substrate. The solution was prepared by reacting HAuCl 4 aqueous solution with (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). It was found that the size and shape of the precipitating gold nanoparticles is controllable by changing the mixing ratio between HAuCl 4 aqueous solution and MPTMS. Additionally, we confirmed that the fabricated gold structures were surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active; the enhanced Raman peaks of rhodamin 6G (R6G) were detected on the fabricated gold structures, whereas no peak was detected on the alternative silicon surface. We also demonstrated the gold patterning using a femtosecond laser instead of an FIB. We believe that our method is a favorable candidate for fabricating SERS-active substrates, since the substrates can be prepared very simply and flexibly.

Preparation of triangular and hexagonal silver nanoplates on the surface of quartz substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia Huiying; Zeng Jianbo; An Jing; Song Wei; Xu Weiqing; Zhao Bing

2008-01-01

In this paper, triangular and hexagonal silver nanoplates were prepared on the surface of quartz substrate using photoreduction of silver ions in the presence of silver seeds. The obtained silver nanoplates were characterized by atomic force microscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. It was found that the silver seeds played an important role in the formation of triangular and hexagonal silver nanoplates. By varying the irradiation time, nanoplates with different sizes and shapes could be obtained. The growth mechanism for triangular and hexagonal nanoplates prepared on quartz substrate was discussed

Nutrients and Hydrology Indicate the Driving Mechanisms of Peatland Surface Patterning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eppinga, M.B.; Ruiter, de P.C.; Wassen, M.J.; Rietkerk, M.

2009-01-01

Peatland surface patterning motivates studies that identify underlying structuring mechanisms. Theoretical studies so far suggest that different mechanisms may drive similar types of patterning. The long time span associated with peatland surface pattern formation, however, limits possibilities for

Nanoengineered Polystyrene Surfaces with Nanopore Array Pattern Alters Cytoskeleton Organization and Enhances Induction of Neural Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Ae Ryang; Kim, Richard Y; Kim, Hyung Woo; Shrestha, Kshitiz Raj; Jeon, Seung Hwan; Cha, Kyoung Je; Park, Yong Hyun; Kim, Dong Sung; Lee, Ji Youl

2015-07-01

Human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) can differentiate into various cell types depending on chemical and topographical cues. One topographical cue recently noted to be successful in inducing differentiation is the nanoengineered polystyrene surface containing nanopore array-patterned substrate (NP substrate), which is designed to mimic the nanoscale topographical features of the extracellular matrix. In this study, efficacies of NP and flat substrates in inducing neural differentiation of hADSCs were examined by comparing their substrate-cell adhesion rates, filopodia growth, nuclei elongation, and expression of neural-specific markers. The polystyrene nano Petri dishes containing NP substrates were fabricated by a nano injection molding process using a nickel electroformed nano-mold insert (Diameter: 200 nm. Depth of pore: 500 nm. Center-to-center distance: 500 nm). Cytoskeleton and filopodia structures were observed by scanning electron microscopy and F-actin staining, while cell adhesion was tested by vinculin staining after 24 and 48 h of seeding. Expression of neural specific markers was examined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry. Results showed that NP substrates lead to greater substrate-cell adhesion, filopodia growth, nuclei elongation, and expression of neural specific markers compared to flat substrates. These results not only show the advantages of NP substrates, but they also suggest that further study into cell-substrate interactions may yield great benefits for biomaterial engineering.

Potential energy surfaces of adsorbates on periodic substrates: Application of the Morse theory

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pick, Štěpán

2009-01-01

Roč. 79, č. 4 (2009), 045403-1-5 ISSN 1098-0121 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Keywords : adsorbed layers * Morse potential * potential energy surfaces * substrates Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 3.475, year: 2009

Improving surface smoothness and photoluminescence of CdTe(1 1 1)A on Si(1 1 1) substrates grown by molecular beam epitaxy using Mn atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jyh-Shyang; Tsai, Yu-Hsuan; Chen, Chang-Wei; Dai, Zi-Yuan; Tong, Shih-Chang; Yang, Chu-Shou; Wu, Chih-Hung; Yuan, Chi-Tsu; Shen, Ji-Lin

2014-01-01

Highlights: • CdTe(1 1 1)A epilayers were grown on Si(1 1 1) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. • We report an enhanced growth using Mn atoms. • The significant improvements in surface quality and optical properties were found. - Abstract: This work demonstrates an improvement of the molecular beam epitaxial growth of CdTe(1 1 1)A epilayer on Si(1 1 1) substrates using Mn atoms. The reflection high-energy electron diffraction patterns show that the involvement of some Mn atoms in the growth of CdTe(1 1 1)A is even more effective than the use of a buffer layer with a smooth surface for forming good CdTe(1 1 1)A epilayers. 10 K Photoluminescence spectra show that the incorporation of only 2% Mn significantly reduced the intensity of defect-related emissions and considerably increased the integral intensity of exciton-related emissions by a large factor of about 400

Tribological behavior of micro/nano-patterned surfaces in contact with AFM colloidal probe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaoliang; Wang Xiu; Kong Wen; Yi Gewen; Jia Junhong

2011-01-01

In effort to investigate the influence of the micro/nano-patterning or surface texturing on the nanotribological properties of patterned surfaces, the patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces with pillars were fabricated by replica molding technique. The surface morphologies of patterned PDMS surfaces with varying pillar sizes and spacing between pillars were characterized by atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The AFM/FFM was used to acquire the friction force images of micro/nano-patterned surfaces using a colloidal probe. A difference in friction force produced a contrast on the friction force images when the colloidal probe slid over different regions of the patterned polymer surfaces. The average friction force of patterned surface was related to the spacing between the pillars and their size. It decreased with the decreasing of spacing between the pillars and the increasing of pillar size. A reduction in friction force was attributed to the reduced area of contact between patterned surface and colloidal probe. Additionally, the average friction force increased with increasing applied load and sliding velocity.

Tribological behavior of micro/nano-patterned surfaces in contact with AFM colloidal probe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Xiaoliang; Wang Xiu; Kong Wen [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China); Yi Gewen [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China); Jia Junhong, E-mail: jhjia@licp.cas.cn [State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000 (China)

2011-10-15

In effort to investigate the influence of the micro/nano-patterning or surface texturing on the nanotribological properties of patterned surfaces, the patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces with pillars were fabricated by replica molding technique. The surface morphologies of patterned PDMS surfaces with varying pillar sizes and spacing between pillars were characterized by atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The AFM/FFM was used to acquire the friction force images of micro/nano-patterned surfaces using a colloidal probe. A difference in friction force produced a contrast on the friction force images when the colloidal probe slid over different regions of the patterned polymer surfaces. The average friction force of patterned surface was related to the spacing between the pillars and their size. It decreased with the decreasing of spacing between the pillars and the increasing of pillar size. A reduction in friction force was attributed to the reduced area of contact between patterned surface and colloidal probe. Additionally, the average friction force increased with increasing applied load and sliding velocity.

The role of substrate surface alteration in the fabrication of vertically aligned CdTe nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neretina, S; Devenyi, G A; Preston, J S; Mascher, P; Hughes, R A; Sochinskii, N V

2008-01-01

Previously we have described the deposition of vertically aligned wurtzite CdTe nanowires derived from an unusual catalytically driven growth mode. This growth mode could only proceed when the surface of the substrate was corrupted with an alcohol layer, although the role of the corruption was not fully understood. Here, we present a study detailing the remarkable role that this substrate surface alteration plays in the development of CdTe nanowires; it dramatically improves the size uniformity and largely eliminates lateral growth. These effects are demonstrated to arise from the altered surface's ability to limit Ostwald ripening of the catalytic seed material and by providing a surface unable to promote the epitaxial relationship needed to sustain a lateral growth mode. The axial growth of the CdTe nanowires is found to be exclusively driven through the direct impingement of adatoms onto the catalytic seeds leading to a self-limiting wire height associated with the sublimation of material from the sidewall facets. The work presented furthers the development of the mechanisms needed to promote high quality substrate-based vertically aligned CdTe nanowires. With our present understanding of the growth mechanism being a combination of selective area epitaxy and a catalytically driven vapour-liquid-solid growth mode, these results also raise the intriguing possibility of employing this growth mode in other material systems in an effort to produce superior nanowires

ZnO nanostructures directly grown on paper and bacterial cellulose substrates without any surface modification layer.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Saionara V; Gonçalves, Agnaldo S; Zaguete, Maria A; Mazon, Talita; Nogueira, Ana F

2013-09-21

In this report, hierarchical ZnO nano- and microstructures were directly grown for the first time on a bacterial cellulose substrate and on two additional different papers by hydrothermal synthesis without any surface modification layer. Compactness and smoothness of the substrates are two important parameters that allow the growth of oriented structures.

Adsorbate-induced lifting of substrate relaxation is a general mechanism governing titania surface chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Silber, David; Kowalski, Piotr M; Traeger, Franziska; Buchholz, Maria; Bebensee, Fabian; Meyer, Bernd; Wöll, Christof

2016-09-30

Under ambient conditions, almost all metals are coated by an oxide. These coatings, the result of a chemical reaction, are not passive. Many of them bind, activate and modify adsorbed molecules, processes that are exploited, for example, in heterogeneous catalysis and photochemistry. Here we report an effect of general importance that governs the bonding, structure formation and dissociation of molecules on oxidic substrates. For a specific example, methanol adsorbed on the rutile TiO 2 (110) single crystal surface, we demonstrate by using a combination of experimental and theoretical techniques that strongly bonding adsorbates can lift surface relaxations beyond their adsorption site, which leads to a significant substrate-mediated interaction between adsorbates. The result is a complex superstructure consisting of pairs of methanol molecules and unoccupied adsorption sites. Infrared spectroscopy reveals that the paired methanol molecules remain intact and do not deprotonate on the defect-free terraces of the rutile TiO 2 (110) surface.

Near-infrared light-responsive dynamic wrinkle patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Fudong; Hou, Honghao; Yin, Jie; Jiang, Xuesong

2018-04-01

Dynamic micro/nanopatterns provide an effective approach for on-demand tuning of surface properties to realize a smart surface. We report a simple yet versatile strategy for the fabrication of near-infrared (NIR) light-responsive dynamic wrinkles by using a carbon nanotube (CNT)-containing poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) elastomer as the substrate for the bilayer systems, with various functional polymers serving as the top stiff layers. The high photon-to-thermal energy conversion of CNT leads to the NIR-controlled thermal expansion of the elastic CNT-PDMS substrate, resulting in dynamic regulation of the applied strain (ε) of the bilayer system by the NIR on/off cycle to obtain a reversible wrinkle pattern. The switchable surface topological structures can transfer between the wrinkled state and the wrinkle-free state within tens of seconds via NIR irradiation. As a proof-of-concept application, this type of NIR-driven dynamic wrinkle pattern was used in smart displays, dynamic gratings, and light control electronics.

MgB2 thin films on silicon nitride substrates prepared by an in situ method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monticone, Eugenio; Gandini, Claudio; Portesi, Chiara; Rajteri, Mauro; Bodoardo, Silvia; Penazzi, Nerino; Dellarocca, Valeria; Gonnelli, Renato S

2004-01-01

Large-area MgB 2 thin films were deposited on silicon nitride and sapphire substrates by co-deposition of Mg and B. After a post-annealing in Ar atmosphere at temperatures between 773 and 1173 K depending on the substrate, the films showed a critical temperature higher than 35 K with a transition width less than 0.5 K. The x-ray diffraction pattern suggested a c-axis preferential orientation in films deposited on amorphous substrate. The smooth surface and the good structural properties of these MgB 2 films allowed their reproducible patterning by a standard photolithographic process down to dimensions of the order of 10 μm and without a considerable degradation of the superconducting properties

Growth and characterization of AlxGa1-xN LEO substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paek, H.S.; Sakong, T.; Lee, S.N.; Son, J.K.; Ryu, H.Y.; Nam, O.H.; Park, Y.

2006-01-01

We have studied the effect of Al composition on the properties of Al x Ga 1-x N LEO substrates. Al x Ga 1-x N LEO substrates were prepared on stripe-patterned 2μm-thick undoped GaN/sapphire substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. To investigate the dislocation and crack density, and the surface morphology of Al x Ga 1-x N LEO substrates with different Al compositions, photoluminescence and optical microscope were used. At a 1% of Al composition, we obtained crack-free and mirror-like substrates having a low dislocation density of ∼1E6cm -2 . We expect considerable reduction in threshold current density to be achieved from blue-violet laser diodes grown on Al x Ga 1-x N LEO substrates because of the increased optical gain, as compared to the laser diodes grown on Al-free LEO substrates

From honeycomb- to microsphere-patterned surfaces of poly(lactic acid) and a starch-poly(lactic acid) blend via the breath figure method.

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, Ana Rita C; Maniglio, Devid; Sousa, Nuno; Mano, João F; Reis, Rui L; Migliaresi, Claudio

2017-01-26

This study investigated the preparation of ordered patterned surfaces and/or microspheres from a natural-based polymer, using the breath figure and reverse breath figure methods. Poly(D,L-lactic acid) and starch poly(lactic acid) solutions were precipitated in different conditions - namely, polymer concentration, vapor atmosphere temperature and substrate - to evaluate the effect of these conditions on the morphology of the precipitates obtained. The possibility of fine-tuning the properties of the final patterns simply by changing the vapor atmosphere was also demonstrated here using a range of compositions of the vapor phase. Porous films or discrete particles are formed when the differences in surface tension determine the ability of polymer solution to surround water droplets or methanol to surround polymer droplets, respectively. In vitro cytotoxicity was assessed applying a simple standard protocol to evaluate the possibility to use these materials in biomedical applications. Moreover, fluorescent microscopy images showed a good interaction of cells with the material, which were able to adhere on the patterned surfaces after 24 hours in culture. The development of patterned surfaces using the breath figure method was tested in this work for the preparation of both poly(lactic acid) and a blend containing starch and poly(lactic acid). The potential of these films to be used in the biomedical area was confirmed by a preliminary cytotoxicity test and by morphological observation of cell adhesion.

High-throughput evaluation of interactions between biomaterials, proteins and cells using patterned superhydrophobic substrates

OpenAIRE

Neto, Ana I.; Custódio, Catarina A.; Wenlong Song; Mano, J. F.

2011-01-01

We propose a new low cost platform for high-throughput analysis that permits screening the biological performance of independent combinations of biomaterials, cells and culture media. Patterned superhydrophobic flat substrates with controlled wettable spots are used to produce microarray chips for accelerated multiplexing evaluation. This work was partially supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) under project PTDC/FIS/68517/2006.

Writing magnetic patterns with surface acoustic waves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Weiyang; Buford, Benjamin; Jander, Albrecht; Dhagat, Pallavi, E-mail: dhagat@eecs.oregonstate.edu [School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 (United States)

2014-05-07

A novel patterning technique that creates magnetization patterns in a continuous magnetostrictive film with surface acoustic waves is demonstrated. Patterns of 10 μm wide stripes of alternating magnetization and a 3 μm dot of reversed magnetization are written using standing and focusing acoustic waves, respectively. The magnetization pattern is size-tunable, erasable, and rewritable by changing the magnetic field and acoustic power. This versatility, along with its solid-state implementation (no moving parts) and electronic control, renders it as a promising technique for application in magnetic recording, magnonic signal processing, magnetic particle manipulation, and spatial magneto-optical modulation.

Natural printed silk substrate circuit fabricated via surface modification using one step thermal transfer and reduction graphene oxide

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Jiliang; Huang, Zhan; Wang, Chaoxia

2018-05-01

Graphene conductive silk substrate is a preferred material because of its biocompatibility, flexibility and comfort. A flexible natural printed silk substrate circuit was fabricated by one step transfer of graphene oxide (GO) paste from transfer paper to the surface of silk fabric and reduction of the GO to reduced graphene oxide (RGO) using a simple hot press treatment. The GO paste was obtained through ultrasonic stirring exfoliation under low temperature, and presented excellent printing rheological properties at high concentration. The silk fabric was obtained a surface electric resistance as low as 12.15 KΩ cm-1, in the concentration of GO 50 g L-1 and hot press at 220 °C for 120 s. Though the whiteness and strength decreased with the increasing of hot press temperature and time slowly, the electric conductivity of RGO surface modification silk substrate improved obviously. The surface electric resistance of RGO/silk fabrics increased from 12.15 KΩ cm-1 to 18.05 KΩ cm-1, 28.54 KΩ cm-1 and 32.53 KΩ cm-1 after 10, 20 and 30 washing cycles, respectively. The results showed that the printed silk substrate circuit has excellent washability. This process requires no chemical reductant, and the reduction efficiency and reduction degree of GO is high. This time-effective and environmentally-friendly one step thermal transfer and reduction graphene oxide onto natural silk substrate method can be easily used to production of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) based flexible printed circuit.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of amorphous silica gel adsorbed on gold substrates for optical fiber sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Degioanni, S.; Jurdyc, A. M.; Cheap, A.; Champagnon, B.; Bessueille, F.; Coulm, J.; Bois, L.; Vouagner, D.

2015-10-01

Two kinds of gold substrates are used to produce surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of amorphous silica obtained via the sol-gel route using tetraethoxysilane Si(OC2H5)4 (TEOS) solution. The first substrate consists of a gold nanometric film elaborated on a glass slide by sputter deposition, controlling the desired gold thickness and sputtering current intensity. The second substrate consists of an array of micrometer-sized gold inverted pyramidal pits able to confine surface plasmon (SP) enhancing electric field, which results in a distribution of electromagnetic energy inside the cavities. These substrates are optically characterized to observe SPR with, respectively, extinction and reflectance spectrometries. Once coated with thin layers of amorphous silica (SiO2) gel, these samples show Raman amplification of amorphous SiO2 bands. This enhancement can occur in SERS sensors using amorphous SiO2 gel as shells, spacers, protective coatings, or waveguides, and represents particularly a potential interest in the field of Raman distributed sensors, which use the amorphous SiO2 core of optical fibers as a transducer to make temperature measurements.

Surface morphology modelling for the resistivity analysis of low temperature sputtered indium tin oxide thin films on polymer substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Xuesong; Tang Wu; Weng Xiaolong; Deng Longjiang

2009-01-01

Amorphous or weakly crystalline indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film samples have been prepared on polymethylmethacrylate and polyethylene terephthalate substrates by RF-magnetron sputtering at a low substrate temperature. The surface morphological and electrical properties of the ITO layers were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and a standard four-point probe measurement. The effect of surface morphology on the resistivity of ITO thin films was studied, which presented some different variations from crystalline films. Then, a simplified film system model, including the substrate, continuous ITO layer and ITO surface grain, was proposed to deal with these correlations. Based on this thin film model and the AFM images, a quadratic potential was introduced to simulate the characteristics of the ITO surface morphology, and the classical Kronig-Penney model, the semiconductor electrical theory and the modified Neugebauer-Webb model were used to expound the detailed experimental results. The modelling equation was highly in accord with the experimental variations of the resistivity on the characteristics of the surface morphology.

Creation of wettability contrast patterns on metallic surfaces via pen drawn masks

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Won Tae; Yang, Xiaolong; Breedveld, Victor; Hess, Dennis W.

2017-12-01

Micropatterned surfaces with wettability contrast have attracted considerable attention due to potential applications in 2D microfluidics, bioassays, and water harvesting. A simple method to develop wettability contrast patterns on metallic surfaces by using a commercial marker is described. A marker-drawn ink pattern on a copper surface displays chemical resistance to an aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate and ammonium persulfate, thereby enabling selective nanowire growth in areas where ink is absent. Subsequent ink removal by an organic solvent followed by fluorocarbon film deposition yields a stable hydrophobic/super-hydrophobic patterned copper surface. Using this approach, hydrophobic dot and line patterns were constructed. The adhesion force of water droplets to the dots was controlled by adjusting pattern size, thus enabling controlled droplet transfer between two surfaces. Anisotropy of water droplet adhesion to line patterns can serve as a basis for directional control of water droplet motion. This general approach has also been employed to generate wettability contrast on aluminum surfaces, thereby demonstrating versatility. Due to its simplicity, low cost, and virtual independence of solid surface material, ink marker pens can be employed to create wettability patterns for a variety of applications, in fields as diverse as biomedicine and energy.

A statistical nanomechanism of biomolecular patterning actuated by surface potential

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Chih-Ting; Lin, Chih-Hao

2011-02-01

Biomolecular patterning on a nanoscale/microscale on chip surfaces is one of the most important techniques used in vitro biochip technologies. Here, we report upon a stochastic mechanics model we have developed for biomolecular patterning controlled by surface potential. The probabilistic biomolecular surface adsorption behavior can be modeled by considering the potential difference between the binding and nonbinding states. To verify our model, we experimentally implemented a method of electroactivated biomolecular patterning technology and the resulting fluorescence intensity matched the prediction of the developed model quite well. Based on this result, we also experimentally demonstrated the creation of a bovine serum albumin pattern with a width of 200 nm in 5 min operations. This submicron noncovalent-binding biomolecular pattern can be maintained for hours after removing the applied electrical voltage. These stochastic understandings and experimental results not only prove the feasibility of submicron biomolecular patterns on chips but also pave the way for nanoscale interfacial-bioelectrical engineering.

The substrate effect in electron energy-loss spectroscopy of localized surface plasmons in gold and silver nanoparticles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kadkhodazadeh, Shima; Christensen, Thomas; Beleggia, Marco

2017-01-01

, as in optical measurements, the substrate material can modify the acquired signal. Here, we have investigated how the EELS signal recorded from supported silver and gold spheroidal nanoparticles at different electron beam impact parameter positions is affected by the choice of a dielectric substrate material...... and thickness. Consistent with previous optical studies, the presence of a dielectric substrate is found to redshift localized surface plasmons, increase their line-widths, and lead to increased prominence of higher order modes. The extent of these modifications heightens with increasing substrate permittivity...

α-amylase assay and action pattern determination using radioactive substrate, HPLC, and a radioactive flow detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsili, R.T.; Ostapenko, H.

1987-01-01

A new assay system is presented for the analysis of α-amylase. The disappearance of 14 C-labeled starch substrate and the appearance of its radioactive degradation products were monitored by HPLC and a radioactive flow detector/integrator. The hydrolysis of radioactive substrate was proportional to enzyme concentration when two commercially available α-amylase preparations of Bacillus subtilis origin were studied. The method demonstrated an average recovery of 101.7 +/- 6.5% when modified food starch was spiked with amylase and analyzed. In addition, the method was shown to be useful for predicting detailed action patterns of various types of amylases

Facile and scalable preparation of highly wear-resistance superhydrophobic surface on wood substrates using silica nanoparticles modified by VTES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jia, Shanshan; Liu, Ming [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004 (China); Wu, Yiqiang, E-mail: wuyq0506@126.com [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004 (China); Hunan Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for High-efficiency Utilization of Wood and Bamboo Resources, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004 (China); Luo, Sha [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004 (China); Qing, Yan, E-mail: qingyan0429@163.com [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004 (China); Hunan Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center for High-efficiency Utilization of Wood and Bamboo Resources, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004 (China); Chen, Haibo [College of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004 (China)

2016-11-15

Graphical abstract: Highly wear-resistance superhydrophobic surface on wood substrates was fabricated using silica nanoparticles modified by VTES. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Superhydrophobic surface on wood substrates was efficiently fabricated using nanoparticles modified by VTES. • The superhydrophobic surface exhibited a CA of 154° and a SAclose to 0°. • The superhydrophobic surface showed a durable and robust wear-resistance performance. - Abstract: In this study, an efficient, facile method has been developed for fabricating superhydrophobic surfaces on wood substrates using silica nanoparticles modified by VTES. The as-prepared superhydrophobic wood surface had a water contact angle of 154° and water slide angle close to 0°. Simultaneously, this superhydrophobic wood showed highly durable and robust wear resistance when having undergone a long period of sandpaper abrasion or being scratched by a knife. Even under extreme conditions of boiling water, the superhydrophobicity of the as-prepared wood composite was preserved. Characterizations by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that a typical and tough hierarchical micro/nanostructure was created on the wood substrate and vinyltriethoxysilane contributed to preventing the agglomeration of silica nanoparticles and serving as low-surface-free-energy substances. This superhydrophobic wood was easy to fabricate, mechanically resistant and exhibited long-term stability. Therefore, it is considered to be of significant importance in the industrial production of functional wood, especially for outdoor applications.

SURFACE MODIFICATION OF SEMICONDUCTOR THIN FILM OF TiO2 ON GRAPHITE SUBSTRATE BY Cu-ELECTRODEPOSITION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fitria Rahmawati

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Surface modification of graphite/TiO2 has been done by mean of Cu electrodeposition. This research aims to study the effect of Cu electrodeposition on photocatalytic enhancing of TiO2. Electrodeposition has been done using CuSO4 0,4 M as the electrolyte at controlled current. The XRD pattern of modified TiO2 thin film on graphite substrate exhibited new peaks at 2θ= 43-44o and 2θ= 50-51o that have been identified as Cu with crystal cubic system, face-centered crystal lattice and crystallite size of 26-30 nm. CTABr still remains in the material as impurities. Meanwhile, based on morphological analysis, Cu particles are dissipated in the pore of thin film. Graphite/TiO2/Cu has higher photoconversion efficiency than graphite/TiO2.   Keywords: semiconductor, graphite/TiO2, Cu electrodeposition

Fabrication of planarised conductively patterned diamond for bio-applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Wei; Fox, Kate; Ganesan, Kumaravelu; Turnley, Ann M; Shimoni, Olga; Tran, Phong A; Lohrmann, Alexander; McFarlane, Thomas; Ahnood, Arman; Garrett, David J; Meffin, Hamish; O'Brien-Simpson, Neil M; Reynolds, Eric C; Prawer, Steven

2014-10-01

The development of smooth, featureless surfaces for biomedical microelectronics is a challenging feat. Other than the traditional electronic materials like silicon, few microelectronic circuits can be produced with conductive features without compromising the surface topography and/or biocompatibility. Diamond is fast becoming a highly sought after biomaterial for electrical stimulation, however, its inherent surface roughness introduced by the growth process limits its applications in electronic circuitry. In this study, we introduce a fabrication method for developing conductive features in an insulating diamond substrate whilst maintaining a planar topography. Using a combination of microwave plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition, inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching, secondary diamond growth and silicon wet-etching, we have produced a patterned substrate in which the surface roughness at the interface between the conducting and insulating diamond is approximately 3 nm. We also show that the patterned smooth topography is capable of neuronal cell adhesion and growth whilst restricting bacterial adhesion. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanoscale definition of substrate materials to direct human adult stem cells towards tissue specific populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Curran, Judith M; Chen, Rui; Stokes, Robert; Irvine, Eleanor; Graham, Duncan; Gubbins, Earl; Delaney, Deany; Amro, Nabil; Sanedrin, Raymond; Jamil, Haris; Hunt, John A

2010-03-01

The development of homogenously nano-patterned chemically modified surfaces that can be used to initiate a cellular response, particularly stem cell differentiation, in a highly controlled manner without the need for exogenous biological factors has never been reported, due to that fact that precisely defined and reproducible systems have not been available that can be used to study cell/material interactions and unlock the potential of a material driven cell response. Until now material driven stem cell (furthermore any cell) responses have been variable due to the limitations in definition and reproducibility of the underlying substrate and the lack of true homogeneity of modifications that can dictate a cellular response at a sub-micron level that can effectively control initial cell interactions of all cells that contact the surface. Here we report the successful design and use of homogenously molecularly nanopatterned surfaces to control initial stem cell adhesion and hence function. The highly specified nano-patterned arrays were compared directly to silane modified bulk coated substrates that have previously been proven to initiate mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation in a heterogenous manner, the aim of this study was to prove the efficiency of these previously observed cell responses could be enhanced by the incorporation of nano-patterns. Nano-patterned surfaces were prepared by Dip Pen Nanolithography (DPN) to produce arrays of 70 nm sized dots separated by defined spacings of 140, 280 and 1000 nm with terminal functionalities of carboxyl, amino, methyl and hydroxyl and used to control cell growth. These nanopatterned surfaces exhibited unprecedented control of initial cell interactions and will change the capabilities for stem cell definition in vitro and then cell based medical therapies. In addition to highlighting the ability of the materials to control stem cell functionality on an unprecedented scale this research also introduces the

Immobilization of biomolecules onto surfaces according to ultraviolet light diffraction patterns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjoern Petersen, Steffen; Kold di Gennaro, Ane; Neves-Petersen, Maria Teresa; Skovsen, Esben; Parracino, Antonietta

2010-01-01

We developed a method for immobilization of biomolecules onto thiol functionalized surfaces according to UV diffraction patterns. UV light-assisted molecular immobilization proceeds through the formation of free, reactive thiol groups that can bind covalently to thiol reactive surfaces. We demonstrate that, by shaping the pattern of the UV light used to induce molecular immobilization, one can control the pattern of immobilized molecules onto the surface. Using a single-aperture spatial mask, combined with the Fourier transforming property of a focusing lens, we show that submicrometer (0.7 μm) resolved patterns of immobilized prostate-specific antigen biomolecules can be created. If a dual-aperture spatial mask is used, the results differ from the expected Fourier transform pattern of the mask. It appears as a superposition of two diffraction patterns produced by the two apertures, with a fine structured interference pattern superimposed.

Blood drop patterns: Formation and applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ruoyang; Zhang, Liyuan; Zang, Duyang; Shen, Wei

2016-05-01

The drying of a drop of blood or plasma on a solid substrate leads to the formation of interesting and complex patterns. Inter- and intra-cellular and macromolecular interactions in the drying plasma or blood drop are responsible for the final morphologies of the dried patterns. Changes in these cellular and macromolecular components in blood caused by diseases have been suspected to cause changes in the dried drop patterns of plasma and whole blood, which could be used as simple diagnostic tools to identify the health of humans and livestock. However, complex physicochemical driving forces involved in the pattern formation are not fully understood. This review focuses on the scientific development in microscopic observations and pattern interpretation of dried plasma and whole blood samples, as well as the diagnostic applications of pattern analysis. Dried drop patterns of plasma consist of intricate visible cracks in the outer region and fine structures in the central region, which are mainly influenced by the presence and concentration of inorganic salts and proteins during drying. The shrinkage of macromolecular gel and its adhesion to the substrate surface have been thought to be responsible for the formation of the cracks. Dried drop patterns of whole blood have three characteristic zones; their formation as functions of drying time has been reported in the literature. Some research works have applied engineering treatment to the evaporation process of whole blood samples. The sensitivities of the resultant patterns to the relative humidity of the environment, the wettability of the substrates, and the size of the drop have been reported. These research works shed light on the mechanisms of spreading, evaporation, gelation, and crack formation of the blood drops on solid substrates, as well as on the potential applications of dried drop patterns of plasma and whole blood in diagnosis. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Roles of multiple surface sites, long substrate binding clefts, and carbohydrate binding modules in the action of amylolytic enzymes on polysaccharide substrates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Morten Munch; Seo, E.S.; Dilokpimol, Adiphol

2008-01-01

Germinating barley seeds contain multiple forms of alpha-amylase, which are subject to both differential gene expression and differential degradation as part of the repertoire of starch-degrading enzymes. The alpha-amylases are endo-acting and possess a long substrate binding cleft with a charact......Germinating barley seeds contain multiple forms of alpha-amylase, which are subject to both differential gene expression and differential degradation as part of the repertoire of starch-degrading enzymes. The alpha-amylases are endo-acting and possess a long substrate binding cleft...... will address surface sites in both barley alpha-amylase 1 and in the related isozyme 2....

Combinatorial Study of Surface Pattern Formation in Thin Block Copolymer Films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Archie P.; Douglas, Jack F.; Meredith, J. Carson; Amis, Eric J.; Karim, Alamgir

2001-01-01

Surface pattern formation in diblock copolymer films is investigated as a function of film thickness h and molecular mass M . Smooth films are observed for certain h ranges centered about multiples of the lamellar thickness L 0 , and we attribute this effect to an increase in the surface chain density with h in the outer brushlike copolymer layer. We also observe apparently stable labyrinthine surface patterns for other h ranges, and the average size of these patterns is found to scale as λ∼L -2.5 0 . Hole and island patterns occur for h ranges between those of the labyrinthine patterns and the smooth regions, and their size similarly decreases with L 0 and M

Selective functionalization of patterned glass surfaces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ploetz, E.; Visser, B.; Slingenbergh, W.; Evers, K.; Martinez-Martinez, D.; Pei, Y. T.; Feringa, B. L.; De Hosson, J. Th. M.; Cordes, T.; van Dorp, W. F.

2014-01-01

Tailored writing and specific positioning of molecules on nanostructures is a key step for creating functional materials and nano-optical devices, or interfaces for synthetic machines in various applications. We present a novel approach for the selective functionalization of patterned glass surfaces

Wafer bowing control of free-standing heteroepitaxial diamond (100) films grown on Ir(100) substrates via patterned nucleation growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshikawa, Taro; Kodama, Hideyuki; Kono, Shozo; Suzuki, Kazuhiro; Sawabe, Atsuhito

2015-01-01

The potential of patterned nucleation growth (PNG) technique to control the wafer bowing of free-standing heteroepitaxial diamond films was investigated. The heteroepitaxial diamond (100) films were grown on an Ir(100) substrate via PNG technique with different patterns of nucleation regions (NRs), which were dot-arrays with 8 or 13 μm pitch aligned to < 100 > or < 110 > direction of the Ir(100) substrate. The wafer bows and the local stress distributions of the free-standing films were measured using a confocal micro-Raman spectrometer. For each NR pattern, the stress evolutions within the early stage of diamond growth were also studied together with a scanning electron microscopic observation of the coalescing diamond particles. These investigations revealed that the NR pattern, in terms of pitch and direction of dot-array, strongly affects the compressive stress on the nucleation side of the diamond film and dominantly contributes to the elastic deformation of the free-standing film. This indicates that the PNG technique with an appropriate NR pattern is a promising solution to fabricate free-standing heteroepitaxial diamond films with extremely small bows. - Highlights: • Wafer bowing control of free-standing heteroepitaxial diamond (100) films • Effect of patterned nucleation and growth (PNG) technique on wafer bowing reduction • Influence of nucleation region patterns of PNG on wafer bowing • Internal stress analysis of PNG films via confocal micro-Raman spectroscopy

Self-Patterning of Silica/Epoxy Nanocomposite Underfill by Tailored Hydrophilic-Superhydrophobic Surfaces for 3D Integrated Circuit (IC) Stacking.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuan, Chia-Chi; James, Nathan Pataki; Lin, Ziyin; Chen, Yun; Liu, Yan; Moon, Kyoung-Sik; Li, Zhuo; Wong, C P

2017-03-15

As microelectronics are trending toward smaller packages and integrated circuit (IC) stacks nowadays, underfill, the polymer composite filled in between the IC chip and the substrate, becomes increasingly important for interconnection reliability. However, traditional underfills cannot meet the requirements for low-profile and fine pitch in high density IC stacking packages. Post-applied underfills have difficulties in flowing into the small gaps between the chip and the substrate, while pre-applied underfills face filler entrapment at bond pads. In this report, we present a self-patterning underfilling technology that uses selective wetting of underfill on Cu bond pads and Si 3 N 4 passivation via surface energy engineering. This novel process, fully compatible with the conventional underfilling process, eliminates the issue of filler entrapment in typical pre-applied underfilling process, enabling high density and fine pitch IC die bonding.

Facile fabrication of uniaxial nanopatterns on shape memory polymer substrates using a complete bottom-up approach

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Zhongbi; Krishnaswamy, Sridhar

2014-03-01

In earlier work, we have demonstrated an assisted self-assembly fabrication method for unidirectional submicron patterns using pre-programmed shape memory polymers (SMP) as the substrate in an organic/inorganic bilayer structure. In this paper, we propose a complete bottom-up method for fabrication of uniaxial wrinkles whose wavelength is below 300 nm. The method starts with using the aforementioned self-assembled bi-layer wrinkled surface as the template to make a replica of surface wrinkles on a PDMS layer which is spin-coated on a pre-programmed SMP substrate. When the shape recovery of the substrate is triggered by heating it to its transition temperature, the substrate has been programmed in such a way that it shrinks uniaxially to return to its permanent shape. Consequently, the wrinkle wavelength on PDMS reduces accordingly. A subsequent contact molding process is carried out on the PDMS layer spin-coated on another pre-programmed SMP substrate, but using the wrinkled PDMS surface obtained in the previous step as the master. By activating the shape recovery of the substrate, the wrinkle wavelength is further reduced a second time in a similar fashion. Our experiments showed that the starting wavelength of 640 nm decreased to 290 nm after two cycles of recursive molding. We discuss the advantages and limitations of our recursive molding approach compared to the prevalent top-down fabrication methods represented by lithography. The present study is expected to o er a simple and cost-e ective fabrication method of nano-scale uniaxial wrinkle patterns with the potential for large-scale mass-production.

The substrate strain mediated magnetotransport properties of surface states in topological insulators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ma, Ning, E-mail: maning@stu.xjtu.edu.cn [Department of Physics, MOE Key Laboratory of Advanced Transducers and Intelligent Control System, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024 (China); Department of Applied Physics, MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Zhang, Shengli, E-mail: zhangsl@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Department of Applied Physics, MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, Xi' an Jiaotong University, Xi' an 710049 (China); Liu, Daqing, E-mail: liudq@cczu.edu.cn [School of Mathematics and Physics, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164 (China)

2016-10-14

Recent experiments reveal that the strained bulk HgTe can be regarded as a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI). We further explore the strain effects on magnetotransport in HgTe at magnetic field. We find that the substrate strain associated with the surface index of carriers, can remove the surfaces degeneracy in Landau levels. This accordingly induces the well separated surface quantum Hall plateaus and Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations. These results can be used to generate and detect surface polarization, not only in HgTe but also in a broad class of TIs, which would be very great news for electronic applications of TIs. - Highlights: • We explore the strain mediated magnetotransport in topological insulators. • We analytically derive the zero frequency magnetoconductivity. • The strain removes the surface degeneracy in Landau levels. • The strain gives rise to the splitting and mixture of Landau levels. • The strain leads to the surface asymmetric spectrum of conductivity.

Step patterns on vicinal reconstructed surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Vilfan, Igor

1996-04-01

Step patterns on vicinal (2 × 1) reconstructed surfaces of noble metals Au(110) and Pt(110), miscut towards the (100) orientation, are investigated. The free energy of the reconstructed surface with a network of crossing opposite steps is calculated in the strong chirality regime when the steps cannot make overhangs. It is explained why the steps are not perpendicular to the direction of the miscut but form in equilibrium a network of crossing steps which make the surface to look like a fish skin. The network formation is the consequence of competition between the — predominantly elastic — energy loss and entropy gain. It is in agreement with recent scanning tunnelling microscopy observations on vicinal Au(110) and Pt(110) surfaces.

Acoustically-driven surface and hyperbolic plasmon-phonon polaritons in graphene/h-BN heterostructures on piezoelectric substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Fandan, R.; Pedrós, J.; Schiefele, J.; Boscá, A.; Martínez, J.; Calle, F.

2018-05-01

Surface plasmon polaritons in graphene couple strongly to surface phonons in polar substrates leading to hybridized surface plasmon-phonon polaritons (SPPPs). We demonstrate that a surface acoustic wave (SAW) can be used to launch propagating SPPPs in graphene/h-BN heterostructures on a piezoelectric substrate like AlN, where the SAW-induced surface modulation acts as a dynamic diffraction grating. The efficiency of the light coupling is greatly enhanced by the introduction of the h-BN film as compared to the bare graphene/AlN system. The h-BN interlayer not only significantly changes the dispersion of the SPPPs but also enhances their lifetime. The strengthening of the SPPPs is shown to be related to both the higher carrier mobility induced in graphene and the coupling with h-BN and AlN surface phonons. In addition to surface phonons, hyperbolic phonons polaritons (HPPs) appear in the case of multilayer h-BN films leading to hybridized hyperbolic plasmon-phonon polaritons (HPPPs) that are also mediated by the SAW. These results pave the way for engineering SAW-based graphene/h-BN plasmonic devices and metamaterials covering the mid-IR to THz range.

Enhanced microcontact printing of proteins on nanoporous silica surface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blinka, Ellen; Hu Ye; Gopal, Ashwini; Hoshino, Kazunori; Lin, Kevin; Zhang, John X J [Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78758 (United States); Loeffler, Kathryn; Liu Xuewu; Ferrari, Mauro, E-mail: John.Zhang@engr.utexas.edu [Department of Nanomedicine and Biomedical Engineering, University of Texas Health Science Service, Houston, TX 77031 (United States)

2010-10-15

We demonstrate porous silica surface modification, combined with microcontact printing, as an effective method for enhanced protein patterning and adsorption on arbitrary surfaces. Compared to conventional chemical treatments, this approach offers scalability and long-term device stability without requiring complex chemical activation. Two chemical surface treatments using functionalization with the commonly used 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) and glutaraldehyde (GA) were compared with the nanoporous silica surface on the basis of protein adsorption. The deposited thickness and uniformity of porous silica films were evaluated for fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled rabbit immunoglobulin G (R-IgG) protein printed onto the substrates via patterned polydimethlysiloxane (PDMS) stamps. A more complete transfer of proteins was observed on porous silica substrates compared to chemically functionalized substrates. A comparison of different pore sizes (4-6 nm) and porous silica thicknesses (96-200 nm) indicates that porous silica with 4 nm diameter, 57% porosity and a thickness of 96 nm provided a suitable environment for complete transfer of R-IgG proteins. Both fluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used for protein layer characterizations. A porous silica layer is biocompatible, providing a favorable transfer medium with minimal damage to the proteins. A patterned immunoassay microchip was developed to demonstrate the retained protein function after printing on nanoporous surfaces, which enables printable and robust immunoassay detection for point-of-care applications.

Large-area fabrication of patterned ZnO-nanowire arrays using light stamping lithography.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Jae K; Cho, Sangho; Seo, Eun K; Myoung, Jae M; Sung, Myung M

2009-12-01

We demonstrate selective adsorption and alignment of ZnO nanowires on patterned poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) thin layers with (aminopropyl)siloxane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). Light stamping lithography (LSL) was used to prepare patterned PDMS thin layers as neutral passivation regions on Si substrates. (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane-based SAMs were selectively formed only on regions exposing the silanol groups of the Si substrates. The patterned positively charged amino groups define and direct the selective adsorption of ZnO nanowires with negative surface charges in the protic solvent. This procedure can be adopted in automated printing machines that generate patterned ZnO-nanowire arrays on large-area substrates. To demonstrate its usefulness, the LSL method was applied to prepare ZnO-nanowire transistor arrays on 4-in. Si wafers.

Effect of hydrophobic microstructured surfaces on conductive ink printing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seunghwan; Kang, Hyun Wook; Lee, Kyung Heon; Sung, Hyung Jin

2011-01-01

Conductive ink was printed on various microstructured substrates to measure the printing quality. Poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates were used to test the printability of the hydrophobic surface material. Microstructured arrays of 10 µm regular PDMS cubes were prepared using the MEMS fabrication technique. The gap distance between the cubes was varied from 10 to 40 µm. The printing wettability of the microstructured surfaces was determined by measuring the contact angle of a droplet of silver conductive ink. Screen-printing methods were used in the conductive line printing experiment. Test line patterns with finely varying widths (30–250 µm) were printed repeatedly, and the conductivity of the printed lines was measured. The printability, which was defined as the ratio of the successfully printed patterns to the total number of printed patterns, was analyzed as a function of the linewidth and the gap distance of the microstructured surfaces

Engineering the substrate specificity of the DhbE adenylation domain by yeast cell surface display.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Keya; Nelson, Kathryn M; Bhuripanyo, Karan; Grimes, Kimberly D; Zhao, Bo; Aldrich, Courtney C; Yin, Jun

2013-01-24

The adenylation (A) domains of nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) activate aryl acids or amino acids to launch their transfer through the NRPS assembly line for the biosynthesis of many medicinally important natural products. In order to expand the substrate pool of NRPSs, we developed a method based on yeast cell surface display to engineer the substrate specificities of the A-domains. We acquired A-domain mutants of DhbE that have 11- and 6-fold increases in k(cat)/K(m) with nonnative substrates 3-hydroxybenzoic acid and 2-aminobenzoic acid, respectively and corresponding 3- and 33-fold decreases in k(cat)/K(m) values with the native substrate 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid, resulting in a dramatic switch in substrate specificity of up to 200-fold. Our study demonstrates that yeast display can be used as a high throughput selection platform to reprogram the "nonribosomal code" of A-domains. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemically Roughened Solid Silver: A Simple, Robust and Broadband SERS Substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shavini Wijesuriya

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS substrates manufactured using complex nano-patterning techniques have become the norm. However, their cost of manufacture makes them unaffordable to incorporate into most biosensors. The technique shown in this paper is low-cost, reliable and highly sensitive. Chemical etching of solid Ag metal was used to produce simple, yet robust SERS substrates with broadband characteristics. Etching with ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH and nitric acid (HNO3 helped obtain roughened Ag SERS substrates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM and interferometry were used to visualize and quantify surface roughness. Flattened Ag wires had inherent, but non-uniform roughness having peaks and valleys in the microscale. NH4OH treatment removed dirt and smoothened the surface, while HNO3 treatment produced a flake-like morphology with visibly more surface roughness features on Ag metal. SERS efficacy was tested using 4-methylbenzenethiol (MBT. The best SERS enhancement for 1 mM MBT was observed for Ag metal etched for 30 s in NH4OH followed by 10 s in HNO3. Further, MBT could be quantified with detection limits of 1 pM and 100 µM, respectively, using 514 nm and 1064 nm Raman spectrometers. Thus, a rapid and less energy intensive method for producing solid Ag SERS substrate and its efficacy in analyte sensing was demonstrated.

Measurements and removal of substrate effects on the microwave surface impedance of YBCO films on SrTiO{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pompeo, N [Dipartimento di Fisica ' E Amaldi' and Unita CNISM, Universita Roma Tre, Via dellaVasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome (Italy); Muzzi, L [Dipartimento di Fisica ' E Amaldi' and Unita CNISM, Universita Roma Tre, Via dellaVasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome (Italy); Galluzzi, V [ENEA-Frascati, Via Enrico Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati, Rome (Italy); Marcon, R [Dipartimento di Fisica ' E Amaldi' and Unita CNISM, Universita Roma Tre, Via dellaVasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome (Italy); Silva, E [Dipartimento di Fisica ' E Amaldi' and Unita CNISM, Universita Roma Tre, Via dellaVasca Navale 84, 00146 Rome (Italy)

2007-10-15

We reconsider the problem of the measurements of the microwave complex surface impedance in thin superconducting films deposited on SrTiO{sub 3} substrates. We perform measurements of the complex surface impedance Z{sub s}' = R{sub s}'+i{delta}X{sub s}' of thin YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}} films deposited by laser ablation on SrTiO{sub 3} substrates. The typical oscillations due to the strong temperature variation of the SrTiO{sub 3} permittivity are confirmed in R{sub s}' and observed in {delta}X{sub s}'. The effects of the SrTiO{sub 3} substrate are evident even well below the superconducting transition temperature of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-{delta}}. Similarly to previous works, we describe the overall response in terms of impedance transformations. We extend the known results by (i) considering the measurements of the imaginary part (ii) comparing the measurements to the absolute dc resistivity measured on the same sample, and (iii) suggesting a method for measuring the intrinsic thin film surface impedance by adjusting the substrate impedance. To demonstrate the feasibility of microwave measurements of intrinsic properties of films grown onto SrTiO{sub 3} substrates, we check the proposed method by measuring the field dependent surface impedance before and after removal of the substrate resonance.

Light extraction from GaN-based LED structures on silicon-on-insulator substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tripathy, S.; Teo, S.L.; Lin, V.K.X.; Chen, M.F. [Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology, and Research), 117602 (Singapore); Dadgar, A.; Krost, A. [Institut fuer Exerimentelle Physik, Otto-von Guericke Universitaet Magdeburg, Universitaetsplatz 1, 39016 Magdeburg (Germany); AZZURRO Semiconductors AG, Universitaetsplatz 1, 39016 Magdeburg (Germany); Christen, J. [Institut fuer Exerimentelle Physik, Otto-von Guericke Universitaet Magdeburg, Universitaetsplatz 1, 39016 Magdeburg (Germany)

2010-01-15

Nano-patterning of GaN-based devices is a promising technology in the development of high output power devices. Recent researches have been focused on the realization of two-dimensional (2D) photonic crystal (PhC) structure to improve light extraction efficiency and to control the direction of emission. In this study, we have demonstrated improved light extraction from green light emitting diode (LED) structures on thin silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates using surface nanopatterning. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to probe the size, shape, and etch depth of nano-patterns on the LED surfaces. Different types of nanopatterns were created by e-beam lithography and inductively coupled plasma etching. The LED structures after post processing are studied by photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The GaN nanophotonic structures formed by ICP etching led to more than five-fold increase in the intensity of the green emission. The improved light extraction is due to the combination of SOI substrate reflectivity and photonic structures on top GaN LED surfaces. (copyright 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Role of substrate morphology in ion induced dewetting of thin solid films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Repetto, Luca, E-mail: luca.repetto@unige.it [Physics Department and Nanomed Labs, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova (Italy); Lo Savio, Roberto [Physics Department and Nanomed Labs, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova (Italy); Šetina Batič, Barbara [Inštitut Za Kovinske Materiale in Tehnologije, Lepi pot 11, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Firpo, Giuseppe; Valbusa, Ugo [Physics Department and Nanomed Labs, Università di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova (Italy)

2014-10-01

Highlights: • We have created by ion bombardment silicon substrates with different topographies. • The substrates have been characterized by ellipsometry, AFM, SEM and EDX. • The substrates have been used for experiments of ion induced Cr films. • We show that different substrate topographies can induce different dewetted patterns. • Substrate topography can favor spinodal dewetting against heterogeneous nucleations. - Abstract: We investigate the role of the substrate morphology in the dewetting of ultrathin chromium films irradiated with 30 keV Ga ions. Silicon surfaces with different roughness were used as substrates for the films. The results of the irradiation experiments and of related simulations indicate that the chromium films can undergo a dewetting-like process through the two standard channels that show up for liquids, namely the spinodal channel, and the dewetting by heterogeneous nucleation. The two processes are competitive, and the prevailing one can be predicted and selected according to the characteristics of the substrate.

Role of substrate morphology in ion induced dewetting of thin solid films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Repetto, Luca; Lo Savio, Roberto; Šetina Batič, Barbara; Firpo, Giuseppe; Valbusa, Ugo

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We have created by ion bombardment silicon substrates with different topographies. • The substrates have been characterized by ellipsometry, AFM, SEM and EDX. • The substrates have been used for experiments of ion induced Cr films. • We show that different substrate topographies can induce different dewetted patterns. • Substrate topography can favor spinodal dewetting against heterogeneous nucleations. - Abstract: We investigate the role of the substrate morphology in the dewetting of ultrathin chromium films irradiated with 30 keV Ga ions. Silicon surfaces with different roughness were used as substrates for the films. The results of the irradiation experiments and of related simulations indicate that the chromium films can undergo a dewetting-like process through the two standard channels that show up for liquids, namely the spinodal channel, and the dewetting by heterogeneous nucleation. The two processes are competitive, and the prevailing one can be predicted and selected according to the characteristics of the substrate

Desert Beetle-Inspired Superwettable Patterned Surfaces for Water Harvesting.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Zhenwei; Yun, Frank F; Wang, Yanqin; Yao, Li; Dou, Shixue; Liu, Kesong; Jiang, Lei; Wang, Xiaolin

2017-09-01

With the impacts of climate change and impending crisis of clean drinking water, designing functional materials for water harvesting from fog with large water capacity has received much attention in recent years. Nature has evolved different strategies for surviving dry, arid, and xeric conditions. Nature is a school for human beings. In this contribution, inspired by the Stenocara beetle, superhydrophilic/superhydrophobic patterned surfaces are fabricated on the silica poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-coated superhydrophobic surfaces using a pulsed laser deposition approach with masks. The resultant samples with patterned wettability demonstrate water-harvesting efficiency in comparison with the silica PDMS-coated superhydrophobic surface and the Pt nanoparticles-coated superhydrophilic surface. The maximum water-harvesting efficiency can reach about 5.3 g cm -2 h -1 . Both the size and the percentage of the Pt-coated superhydrophilic square regions on the patterned surface affect the condensation and coalescence of the water droplet, as well as the final water-harvesting efficiency. The present water-harvesting strategy should provide an avenue to alleviate the water crisis facing mankind in certain arid regions of the world. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Patterning pentacene surfaces by local oxidation nanolithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Losilla, N.S.; Martinez, J.; Bystrenova, E.; Greco, P.; Biscarini, F.; Garcia, R.

2010-01-01

Sequential and parallel local oxidation nanolithographies have been applied to pattern pentacene samples by creating a variety of nanostructures. The sequential local oxidation process is performed with an atomic force microscope and requires the application of a sequence of voltage pulses of 36 V for 1 ms. The parallel local oxidation process is performed by using a conductive and patterned stamp. Then, a voltage pulse is applied between the stamp and the pentacene surface. Patterns formed by arrays of parallel lines covering 1 mm 2 regions and with a periodicity of less than 1 μm have been generated in a few seconds. We also show that the patterns can be used as templates for the deposition of antibodies.

AlGaInAs narrow stripe selective growth on substrates patterned with different mask designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, W; Pan, J Q; Yang, H; Hou, L P; Zhou, F; Zhao, L J; Zhu, H L; Wang, W

2006-01-01

We have performed a narrow stripe selective growth of oxide-free AlGaInAs waveguides on InP substrates patterned with pairs of SiO 2 mask stripes under optimized growth conditions. The mask stripe width varied from 0 to 40 μm, while the window region width between a pair of mask stripes was fixed at 1.5, 2.5 or 3.5 μm. Flat and smooth AlGaInAs waveguides covered by specific InP layers are successfully grown on substrates patterned with different mask designs. The thickness enhancement ratio and the photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the AlGaInAs narrow stripe waveguides are strongly dependent on the mask stripe width and the window region width. In particular, a large PL wavelength shift of 79 nm and a PL FWHM of less than 64 meV are obtained simultaneously with a small mask stripe width varying from 0 to 40 μm when the window region width is 1.5 μm. We present some possible interpretations of the experimental observations in considering both the migration effect from a masked region and the lateral vapour diffusion effect

Nucleation of microcrystalline silicon: on the effect of the substrate surface nature and nano-imprint topography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmans, J; Faraz, T; Verheijen, M A; Kessels, W M M; Creatore, M

2016-01-01

The nucleation of microcrystalline silicon thin-films has been investigated for various substrate natures and topographies. An earlier nucleation onset on aluminium-doped zinc oxide compared to glass substrates has been revealed, associated with a microstructure enhancement and reduced surface energy. Both aspects resulted in a larger crystallite density, following classical nucleation theory. Additionally, the nucleation onset was (plasma deposition) condition-dependent. Therefore, surface chemistry and its interplay with the plasma have been proposed as key factors affecting nucleation and growth. As such, preliminary proof of the substrate nature’s role in microcrystalline silicon growth has been provided. Subsequently, the impact of nano-imprint lithography prepared surfaces on the initial microcrystalline silicon growth has been explored. Strong topographies, with a 5-fold surface area enhancement, led to a reduction in crystalline volume fraction of ∼20%. However, no correlation between topography and microstructure has been found. Instead, the suppressed crystallization has been partially ascribed to a reduced growth flux, limited surface diffusion and increased incubation layer thickness, originating from the surface area enhancement when transiting from flat to nanostructured surfaces. Furthermore, fundamental plasma parameters have been reviewed in relation with surface topography. Strong topographies are not expected to affect the ion-to-growth flux ratio. However, the reduced ion flux (due to increasing surface area) further limited the already weak ion energy transfer to surface processes. Additionally, the atomic hydrogen flux, i.e. the driving force for microcrystalline growth, has been found to decrease by a factor of 10 when transiting from flat to nanostructured topography. This resulted in an almost 6-fold reduction of the hydrogen-to-growth flux ratio, a much stronger effect than the ion-to-growth flux ratio. Since previous studies regarding

Atomic force microscopy investigation of growth process of organic TCNQ aggregates on SiO2 and mica substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Huan, Qing; Hu, Hao; Pan, Li-Da; Xiao, Jiang; Du, Shi-Xuan; Gao, Hong-Jun

2010-08-01

Deposition patterns of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) molecules on different surfaces are investigated by atomic force microscopy. A homemade physical vapour deposition system allows the better control of molecule deposition. Taking advantage of this system, we investigate TCNQ thin film growth on both SiO2 and mica surfaces. It is found that dense island patterns form at a high deposition rate, and a unique seahorse-like pattern forms at a low deposition rate. Growth patterns on different substrates suggest that the fractal pattern formation is dominated by molecule-molecule interaction. Finally, a phenomenal “two-branch" model is proposed to simulate the growth process of the seahorse pattern.

Atomic force microscopy investigation of growth process of organic TCNQ aggregates on SiO2 and mica substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qing, Huan; Hao, Hu; Li-Da, Pan; Jiang, Xiao; Shi-Xuan, Du; Hong-Jun, Gao

2010-01-01

Deposition patterns of tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) molecules on different surfaces are investigated by atomic force microscopy. A homemade physical vapour deposition system allows the better control of molecule deposition. Taking advantage of this system, we investigate TCNQ thin film growth on both SiO 2 and mica surfaces. It is found that dense island patterns form at a high deposition rate, and a unique seahorse-like pattern forms at a low deposition rate. Growth patterns on different substrates suggest that the fractal pattern formation is dominated by molecule–molecule interaction. Finally, a phenomenal “two-branch” model is proposed to simulate the growth process of the seahorse pattern. (general)

Fabrication of non-hexagonal close packed colloidal array on a substrate by transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Banik, Meneka; Mukherjee, Rabibrata

Self-organized colloidal arrays find application in fabrication of solar cells with advanced light management strategies. We report a simple spincoating based approach for fabricating two dimensional colloidal crystals with hexagonal and non-hexagonal close packed assembly on flat and nanopatterned substrates. The non-HCP arrays were fabricated by spin coating the particles onto soft lithographically fabricated substrates. The substrate patterns impose directionality to the particles by confining them within the grooves. We have developed a technique by which the HCP and non-HCP arrays can be transferred to any surface. For this purpose the colloidal arrays were fabricated on a UV degradable PMMA layer, resulting in transfer of the particles on UV exposure. This allows the colloidal structures to be transported across substrates irrespective of their surface energy, wettability or morphology. Since the particles are transferred without exposing it to any kind of chemical or thermal environment, it can be utilized for placing particles on top of thin film solar cells for improving their absorption efficiency.

Color printing enabled by phase change materials on paper substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Hong-Kai; Tong, Hao; Qian, Hang; Liu, Nian; Xu, Ming; Miao, Xiang-Shui

2017-12-01

We have coated phase change materials (PCMs) on rough and flexible substrates to achieve multicolor changeable devices. The principle of the device is based on an earlier discovery that lights have strong interference effect in PCM films, leading to various colors by reflection. In this work, paper substrates are laminated by parylene layers to protect the device from water before coated with functional PCM films. The PCM-based color printing (PCP) on paper is not affected by rough surfaces and shows a similar color appearance as that on smooth surfaces. In particular, the color-printed device can be patterned by UV lithography to display a clear and tunable optical image, and it exhibits a low sensitivity to the angle of view. Such PCP has potential applications for low-cost, disposable, and flexible displays.

Laser-Assisted Simultaneous Transfer and Patterning of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays on Polymer Substrates for Flexible Devices

KAUST Repository

In, Jung Bin; Lee, Daeho; Fornasiero, Francesco; Noy, Aleksandr; Grigoropoulos, Costas P.

2012-01-01

We demonstrate a laser-assisted dry transfer technique for assembling patterns of vertically aligned carbon nanotube arrays on a flexible polymeric substrate. A laser beam is applied to the interface of a nanotube array and a polycarbonate sheet

Explosive Contamination from Substrate Surfaces: Differences and Similarities in Contamination Techniques Using RDX and C-4

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, C. J.; Yoder, T. S.

2010-06-01

Explosive trace detection equipment has been deployed to airports for more than a decade. During this time, the need for standardized procedures and calibrated trace amounts for ensuring that the systems are operating properly and detecting the correct explosive has been apparent but a standard representative of a fingerprint has been elusive. Standards are also necessary to evaluate instrumentation in the laboratories during development and prior to deployment to determine sample throughput, probability of detection, false positive/negative rates, ease of use by operator, mechanical and/or software problems that may be encountered, and other pertinent parameters that would result in the equipment being unusable during field operations. Since many laboratories do not have access to nor are allowed to handle explosives, the equipment is tested using techniques aimed at simulating the actual explosives fingerprint. This laboratory study focused on examining the similarities and differences in three different surface contamination techniques that are used to performance test explosive trace detection equipment in an attempt to determine how effective the techniques are at replicating actual field samples and to offer scenarios where each contamination technique is applicable. The three techniques used were dry transfer deposition of standard solutions using the Transportation Security Laboratory’s (TSL) patented dry transfer techniques (US patent 6470730), direct deposition of explosive standards onto substrates, and fingerprinting of actual explosives onto substrates. RDX was deposited on the surface of one of five substrates using one of the three different deposition techniques. The process was repeated for each substrate type using each contamination technique. The substrate types used were: 50% cotton/50% polyester as found in T-shirts, 100% cotton with a smooth surface such as that found in a cotton dress shirt, 100% cotton on a rough surface such as that

Nucleation sites of Ge nanoislands grown on pit-patterned Si substrate prepared by electron-beam lithography

Science.gov (United States)

Smagina, Zh. V.; Zinovyev, V. A.; Rudin, S. A.; Novikov, P. L.; Rodyakina, E. E.; Dvurechenskii, A. V.

2018-04-01

Regular pit-patterned Si(001) substrates were prepared by electron-beam lithography followed by plasma chemical etching. The geometry of the pits was controlled by varying the etching conditions and the electron-beam exposure duration. It was shown that the location of three-dimensional (3D) Ge nanoislands subsequently grown on the pit-patterned Si substrates depends on the shape of the pit bottom. In the case of pits having a sharp bottom, 3D Ge islands nucleate inside the pits. For pits with a wide flat bottom, the 3D Ge island nucleation takes place at the pit periphery. This effect is attributed to the strain relaxation depending not only on the initial pit shape, but also on its evolution during the Ge wetting layer deposition. It was shown by Monte Carlo simulations that in the case of a pit with a pointed bottom, the relaxation is most effective inside the pit, while for a pit with a wide bottom, the most relaxed area migrates during Ge deposition from the pit bottom to its edges, where 3D Ge islands nucleate.

New process for high optical quality InAs quantum dots grown on patterned GaAs(001) substrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Alonso-González, Pablo; González, Luisa; González, Yolanda; Fuster, David; Fernández-Martinez, Ivan; Martin-Sánchez, Javier; Abelmann, Leon

2007-01-01

This work presents a selective ultraviolet (UV)-ozone oxidation-chemical etching process that has been used, in combination with laser interference lithography (LIL), for the preparation of GaAs patterned substrates. Further molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of InAs results in ordered InAs/GaAs

Adhesion and friction in polymer films on solid substrates: conformal sites analysis and corresponding surface measurements.