Researchers find a new way to read nanoscale vibrations

The catch is that measuring their vibrations isn't easy. It is usually done by bouncing laser beams off them -- which won't work when the nanodevices become smaller than the wavelength of the light -- or with piezoelectric devices -- those bulky quartz crystals we're trying to get rid of.

Now Cornell University researchers have come up with a very simple solution: reach out and touch them. The vibration of the tiny oscillators can be measured by "tapping" with an atomic force microscope (AFM).

An AFM uses a tiny probe that moves slowly just above a surface. Electrostatic attraction or repulsion between the atoms in the tip of the probe and those in the surface causes the probe to move up and down, creating an image of the surface so detailed that individual atoms show up as bumps. Alternatively, the AFM can be used in "tapping mode," literally bouncing off the surface.

"AFMs are all over the place," said Rob Ilic, research associate in the Cornell NanoScale Facility and lead author on a paper about the research published Feb. 23 in the online edition of the Journal of Applied Physics. "So this offers a simple way to study these structures." (Cornell, for example, has at least a dozen AFMs in various labs.) Moreover, he said, probes similar to those in an AFM can be built directly into nanofabricated devices.

This would amount to using MEMS to measure NEMS, he said. MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) are machines with moving parts measured in microns, or millionths of a meter; NEMS (nanoelectromechanical systems) are measured in nanometers, or billionths of a meter. A nanometer is about the length of three atoms in a row. When the NEMS oscillator is too small to be observed by laser light, it could still be coupled to a MEMS probe that in turn would be large enough for a laser readout.

To measure the vibration of a nanomechanical oscillator, the AFM probe moves along the length of the oscillating rod. The result is a complex bouncing interaction between the probe and the oscillator -- imagine shaking one end of a spring and watching the vibrations at the other end -- from which the frequency of vibration of the oscillator can be determined mathematically.

For the experiments just reported, Ilic and colleagues manufactured a wide variety of silicon cantilevers -- strips of silicon attached at one end with the other free to vibrate -- from 5 to 12 microns long, 1/2 to 1 micron wide and about 250 nanometers thick, which had natural vibration frequencies from 1 to 15 Mhz. The cantilevers were set into vibration by a piezoelectric device.

The experimenters first measured the resonant frequencies of the cantilevers by focusing laser beams on them and observing deflection of the reflected light, then scanned each cantilever with the AFM probe, both in tapping mode and with the probe just above the surface. They found the AFM measurements in good agreement with laser measurements, although the AFM readouts had a somewhat lower "quality factor," because the oscillator and probe were interacting. This would make the method somewhat less precise in mass detection.

Nanomechanical oscillators are often cited as potential tools for detecting bacteria, viruses or other organic molecules. An array of tiny cantilevers might be created with antibodies to many different pathogens attached to them. An experimental solution could then be washed over the array, allowing microbes to bind to the cantilevers with matching antibodies. Since the cantilevers are so tiny, an attached bacterium or virus represents a significant change in mass, which changes the frequency at which the oscillator will vibrate.

In a practical device, a MEMS probe could be mounted above each NEMS oscillator to read out which oscillators in the array show a change in frequency -- and thus identify which pathogens are present.

Source: Cornell University

A better image for plastic solar cells
A new way to help technologists develop efficient and inexpensive plastic electronic devices, such as plastic solar cells and a new type of transistor was showcased by physicist Andrea Liscio, who is supported by the European Science Foundation, at the EMRS (European Material Research Society) Spring Meeting held in Strasbourg, France at the end of May.
On the Energy Trail: Researchers Find New Details Following the Path of Solar Energy During Photosynthesis
Imagine a technology that would not only provide a green and renewable source of electrical energy, but could also help scrub the atmosphere of excessive carbon dioxide resulting from the burning of fossil fuels. That’s the promise of artificial versions of photosynthesis, the process by which green plants have been converting solar energy into electrochemical energy for millions of years. To get there, however, scientists need a far better understanding of how Nature does it, starting with the harvesting of sunlight and the transporting of this energy to electrochemical reaction centers.
Fast AFM probes measure multiple properties of biomolecules or materials simultaneously
New research demonstrates that novel probe technology based on flexible membranes can replace conventional atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers for applications such as fast topographic imaging, quantitative material characterization and single molecule mechanics measurements.
Scientists First To Measure Force Required To Move Individual Atoms
IBM scientists, in collaboration with the University of Regensburg in Germany, are the first ever to measure the force it takes to move individual atoms on a surface. This fundamental measurement provides important information for designing future atomic-scale devices: computer chips, miniaturized storage devices, and more.
Nanotechnology innovation may revolutionize gene detection in a single cell
Scientists at Arizona State University’s Biodesign Institute have developed the world’s first gene detection platform made up entirely from self-assembled DNA nanostructures. The results, appearing in the January 11 issue of the journal Science, could have broad implications for gene chip technology and may also revolutionize the way in which gene expression is analyzed in a single cell.
NIST imaging system maps nanomechanical properties
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has developed an imaging system that quickly maps the mechanical properties of materials—how stiff or stretchy they are, for example—at scales on the order of billionths of a meter. The new tool can be a cost-effective way to design and characterize mixed nanoscale materials such as composites or thin-film structures.
Scientists to explore nano advancements in DNA sequencing
UC Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering has been awarded $2.18 million to blend traditional DNA sequencing techniques with cutting-edge nanotechnology to develop a faster and less costly method of analysis. The goal is to make DNA sequencing feasible as a routine part of health care.
Researchers directly deposit gold nanoparticles in suspension
The delivery, manipulation and assembly of functional materials such as metal nanoparticles into predefined architectures and patterns is of great interest in nanotechnology. Nanoscale patterns of nanoparticles have the potential to be used in miniature electronic circuits or in plasmon waveguides to guide the transport of electromagnetic energy below the diffraction limit. Nanoparticles functionalized with biological materials can also be placed between electrodes for use in biosensing applications.

Researchers find a new way to read nanoscale vibrations

Related stories:

News discussion: