CONTACT MECHANICS AT THE SUB-MICRON AND NANOMETER SCALES

WEEK 1

Introduction, scaling laws for mechanical systems at the micron and sub-micron scale

WEEK 2

Atomic scale forces of relevance in Scanning Probe Microscopy, short & long-range interactions (electrostatic, van der Waals, capillary, double layer forces)

Mechanics of (adhesive) elastic contact, Hertz, JKR, DMT, Maugis/Dugdale model

WEEK 3

Nanoindentation principles and instrumentation

Formulation of models and equations for nanoindentation. Characterization of elastic, fracture, frictional, and viscoelastic surface properties

SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY

WEEK 4

Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) principles

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), electron tunneling, Tersoff-Hamann model, tip & surface preparation, imaging

WEEK 5

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), AC and DC modes, detectors, control systems

WEEK 6

Basic principles of piezoelectric elements in SPMs, major issues and solutions, SPM tip fabrication and selection, surface-tip interactions in different environments

Force/scale calibration, SPM non-linearies and remedies, image artifacts and deconvolution

WEEK 7

Modeling of oscillating cantilever, force interactions with surface, stability conditions, AC modes, optimization of AC/DC experiments

Limits on interaction forces (thermal noise), high-resolution NC-AFM, simulation of NC-AFM images

OPERATIONS IN SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY

WEEK 8

Lab #1: Basics of Atomic Force Microscopy

Lab #2: Instrumented Nanoindentation
 

WEEK 9

Force spectroscopy, force-distance curves, jump-to-contact instability, limitations in force resolution

Interfacial Force Microscopy (IFM), nanoindentation via AFM

WEEK 10

Energy dissipation at the AFM tip, phase detection, frequency shift, lateral contact stiffness, Scanning Thermal (SThM) Microscopy

Electrostatic Force (EFM) and Kelvin Probe Microscopy, Scanning Capacitance (SCM), Quantitative Magnetic Force (MFM), Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy (MRFM)

WEEK 11

Lab #3: Advanced Operations in Atomic Force Microscopy

Lab #4: Measurement of Adhesion and the Nanoscale

WEEK 12

Near-field Scanning Optical Microscopy (NSOM), instrumentation, applications of NSOM

ADVANCED APPLICATIONS IN SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY

WEEK 13

Manipulation of atoms via SPM, quantum mirage, dip-pen lithography, millipede memory

Atomic friction, frictional studies by SPM, quantitative mechanics at the nanometer scale

WEEK 14

Application of SPM to biological systems, molecular spectroscopy, sensor arrays, macromolecular deposition/unfolding/binding, cellular and sub-cellular imaging/spectroscopy

Liquid imaging, low force imaging of living cells, active Q-control, time-lapse AFM