Nanotechnology atomic force microscopes

Maivald, P, Butt, H.J., Gould, S.A., Prater, C.B., Drake, B., Gurley, J.A., Elings, VB. and Hansma, P.K.. Using force modulation to image surface elasticities with the atomic force microscope. Nanotechnology, 2, 103-106 (1991). 

Sahin, O., Magonov, S., Su, C., Quate, C., and Solgard, O., An atomic force microscope tip designed to measure time-varying nanomechanical forces. Nature Nanotechnology, 336, 1037, 2007. 

Atomic force microscope (AFM) is a powerful nanotechnology tool for molecular imaging and manipulations. One major factor limiting resolution in AFM to observe individual biomolecules such as DNA is the low sharpness of the AFM tip that scans the sample. Nanoscale 1,3,5,7-tetrasubstituted adamantane is found to serve as the molecular tip for AFM and may also find application in chemically well-defined objects for calibration of commercial AFM tips [113]. 

However, the transition from nanoscience to nanotechnology had to come from yet a concnrrent innovation in tools used by scientists. This was the invention of the first scanning tunneling microscope (STM) in 1981 [60], followed by the invention of the atomic force microscope (ATM) in 1986 [61]. 

Hirsekorn, S., Rabe, U., and Arnold, W. (1997). Theoretical description of the transfer of vibrations from a sample to the cantilever of an atomic force microscope. Nanotechnology 8, 57-66. [295,298, 302]... 

Figure 15.13 Schematic diagram of an atomic force microscope (image courtesy of the Opensource Handbook of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology).

Nanotechnology has brought new levels of sensitivity to detection technology. A prime example is the atomic force microscope (AFM), which detects small variations in the... 

The development of surfaces with making use of probes of scanning tunneling microscopes (STM) and atomic-force microscopes (AFM) seems to be the first nanotechnology approach in exploration of unique properties of nanostructures in nanoeleetronics and nanosystems [1],... 

Research in the area of nanotechnology has been rapidly advancing that we find that the tools either lack sensitivity or resolution that is required to effectively characterize very low signals. Characterization of the various properties such as topography, morphology, mechanical, and porosity of biomaterials before their use is very critical and important so that we can predict their behavior in vivo. However, characterization tools have improved over the past couple of decades, and collectively, we have been able to image and understand not only the surface of materials but also their properties. For example, the atomic force microscope provides atomic-scale surface data, while the scanning electron microscope provides micro- and nanoscale surface data, and the nanoscale data about the internal structure of materials can be obtained from transmission electron microscope. With this information and with data on the mechanical properties, wettability, porosity, etc., we would be able to understand the surfaces of materials and how they would behave in vitro and in vivo. 

Figure 1.1 The brief history of nanotechnology. STM, scanning tunneling microscope AFM, atomic force microscope CNT, carbon nanotube [1].

Kim ]H, Yoneya M, Yamamoto J, Yokoyama H. Nano-rubbing of a liquid crystal alignment layer by an atomic force microscope a detailed characterization. Nanotechnology 2002 13 133-137. 

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