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Sliding onset of nanoclusters: a new AFM-based approach

  • Asperity contacts & lubrication aspects
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Abstract

In the last twenty years the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is become one of the most important instruments to perform characterization at the nanoscale and to achieve direct control of nano-objects. In this paper a quantitative method to estimate the detachment energy of gold spherical nanoclusters with typical diameters of 13, 24 and 42 nm deposited on silicon dioxide and Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) by AFM measures with Amplitude Modulation (AM-AFM) feedback is presented. It is based on the use of AFM tip oscillations to induce clusters detachments and on the substrate mapping with phase signal. With this powerful method is possible to move in a very controlled way nanoparticles selected by dimensions. All experiments have been performed in air conditions using a commercial AFM microscope with cantilevers characterized by nominal spring constants lying between 5 and 50 N/m.

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Abbreviations

AFM::

Atomic Force Microscopy

AM-AFM::

Amplitude Modulation AFM

FM-AFM::

Frequency Modulation AFM

NC-AFM::

Non Contact AFM

UHV::

Ultra High Vacuum

HOPG::

Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite

SEM::

Scanning Electron Microscopy

TEM::

Transmission Electron Microscopy

FFM::

Friction Force Microscopy

SFA::

Surface Force Apparatus

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via Campi 213/A, 41125, Modena, Italy

    M. Rovatti & S. Valeri

  2. CNR, Istituto Nanoscienze, Centro S3, via Campi 213/A, 41125, Modena, Italy

    M. Rovatti, G. Paolicelli & S. Valeri

  3. International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), via Bonomea 265, 34136, Trieste, Italy

    A. Vanossi

  4. CNR-Istituto Officina dei Materiali, S.S.14 Km 163.5, 34149, Trieste, Italy

    A. Vanossi

Authors
  1. M. Rovatti
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  2. G. Paolicelli
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  3. A. Vanossi
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  4. S. Valeri
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Correspondence to M. Rovatti.

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Rovatti, M., Paolicelli, G., Vanossi, A. et al. Sliding onset of nanoclusters: a new AFM-based approach. Meccanica 46, 597–607 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11012-010-9366-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11012-010-9366-0

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