Carbon-fiber tips for scanning probe microscopes and molecular electronics experiments

Rubio‐Bollinger, Gabino; Castellanos-Gómez, Andrés; Bilan, Stefan; Zotti, Linda A.; Arroyo, Carlos R.; Agraı̈t, Nicolás; Cuevas, Juan Carlos

doi:10.1186/1556-276x-7-254

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…It is worth commenting the connection between our results and the experiments of Castellanos-Gomez 15,39 where molecular junctions were formed between carbon tips and octanethiol self-assembled monolayers. In those experiments, the appearance of rather short plateaus was reported, which was tentatively attributed to the formation of a chemical bond between the tip and the non-thiolated end of the molecule.…”

Section: All-carbon Single-molecule Junctionssupporting

confidence: 75%

Carbon tips for all-carbon single-molecule electronics

2014

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We present here an exhaustive ab initio study of the use of carbon-based tips as electrodes in single-molecule junctions. Motivated by recent experiments, we show that carbon tips can be combined with other carbon nanostructures, such as graphene, to form all-carbon molecular junctions with molecules like benzene or C60. Our results show that the use of carbon tips can lead to relatively conductive molecular junctions. However, contrary to junctions formed with standard metals, the conductance traces recorded during the formation of the all-carbon single-molecule junctions do not exhibit clear conductance plateaus, which can be attributed to the inability of the hydrogenated carbon tips to form chemical bonds with the organic molecules. Additionally, we explore here the use of carbon tips for scanning tunneling microscopy and show that they are well suited for obtaining sample images with atomic resolution.

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Section: All-carbon Single-molecule Junctionssupporting

confidence: 75%

Carbon tips for all-carbon single-molecule electronics

2014

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“…Despite their chemical stability and electrical properties, there are few examples of carbon fiber tips used as STM and/or AFM probe which have been reported in the literature [32][33][34][35][36][37]. Recently, Castellanos Gomez et al [32,34,35] presented results obtained with carbon fiber tips in an AFM/STM system. Atomic resolution was achieved on a freshly cleaved surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite in constant height STM mode.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…However Mousa investigated the field electron emission (FEE) properties of electrochemically etched carbon fiber tips, and found that the tip apex radius was below 100 nm [29]. Despite their chemical stability and electrical properties, there are few examples of carbon fiber tips used as STM and/or AFM probe which have been reported in the literature [32][33][34][35][36][37]. Recently, Castellanos Gomez et al [32,34,35] presented results obtained with carbon fiber tips in an AFM/STM system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Some carbon-based tips were built from amorphous carbon generated from an electron beam [22,23], and more recently by attaching a carbon nanotube at the end of conventional tips [24][25][26][27]. Carbon fibers (CFs) were also used to fabricate nanometer sized tips at their ends [28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. Mainly etched by electrochemical procedures, the apex shape of these ultramicroelectrodes fashioned from CF, was generally studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fabrication of ultra-sharp tips from carbon fiber for scanning tunneling microscopy investigations of epitaxial graphene on 6H-SiC(0001) surface

Meza

Lubin

Thoyer

et al. 2015

Carbon

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A B S T R A C TThe fabrication of ultra-sharp tips from carbon fiber (CF), which are mounted on a qPlus probe for combined dynamic scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and frequency modulation atomic force microscopy (FM-AFM) experiments, is reported. The carbon fiber tips were electrochemically etched in a KOH or NaOH solution, using different electronic devices. CF tips with an apex radius $10 nm, as deduced from the measured slopes of the Fowler-Nordheim plots (kR < 70 nm for k $ 6), were routinely obtained with a homemade electronic device that controls the intensity of the etching current. Then, these conductive CF tips were also characterized by imaging the 6H-SiC(0 0 0 1) surface covered by an epitaxial graphene layer in ultra-high vacuum (UHV). The lattice of the ð6 ffiffiffi 3 p Â 6 ffiffiffi 3 p Þ R30°r econstruction was regularly imaged by STM working either in non-oscillating mode or in dynamic mode, which also maps the variations of the force gradient. From these measurements with a constant mean-tunneling-current of 20 pA, it was found that the STM tip suffered variations of the tip/surface force gradient in between 8.25 and 16.50 N/m when it scanned the epitaxial graphene layer on the reconstructed 6H-SiC(0 0 0 1) surface.

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“…Quanto a ponta de prova, temos exemplo de pontas de tungstênio ou platina-irídio, regularmente usadas em STM [38], fibras óticas [14], cantilevers regulares de AFM [19], e, mais recentemente, pontas baseadas em carbono, como fibras e nanotubos de carbono [24,56,57]. Para aplicação do QTF em AFM, existem dois modos principais.…”

Section: O Uso Do Qtf Em Afmunclassified

Cristais Osciladores De Quartzo Como Sensores Para Microscopia De Força Atômica

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AgradecimentosAo meu orientador, Rodrigo Prioli, mesmo com a distância sempre esteve disponível para resolver os problemas mais banais e as dúvidas mais triviais. Pelas discussões, pelo conhecimento e, não menos importante, pela paciência.À todos do grupo de Nanoscopia da PUC-Rio, o qual tive o prazer de fazer parte. À Paula, quem sempre me motivou durante o mestrado, e por toda a ajuda. À Elizandra, quem muito me ensinou e ajudou no começo. Ao Douglas, pelas discussões nos mais variados assuntos, acadêmicos ou não. Aos funcionários do Dep. de Física, em especial à Giza, por toda a ajuda nas questões burocráticas.Ao grupo do Laboratório de Optoeletrônica Molecular da PUC-Rio, em especial ao Harold, Rafael e Rian, pelas medidas na lupa.Ao Alexander, Jackes, Victor e ao Prof. Welles Morgado, pela Escola de Verão.Aos meus pais, por todo apoio, e ao meu irmão, pelas incontáveis caronas. Aos meus avós, por tudo. Ao meu padrinho Ernesto, pela ajuda financeira durante a graduação, e pelas discussões na mesa de jantar.À Pontifícia Universidade Católica, pela minha formação, a qual vai muito além do conhecimento acadêmico.À CAPES, ao CNPq e à FAPERJ pelo suporte financeiro, sem os quais este trabalho não poderia ter sido realizado. A caracterização de cristais osciladores de quartzo (QTF) foi realizada nesta dissertação com o objetivo de implementá-los como sensores de um microscópio de força atômica (AFM). O QTF possui várias vantagens em relação aos cantilevers tradicionais de silício. Utilizado em modos dinâmicos de operação do AFM, o QTF possui maior fator de qualidade e rigidez, permitindo melhor sensibilidade em força e o uso de baixas amplitudes de oscilação para imageamento do que cantilevers tradicionais. Nesse trabalho, parâmetros mecânicos e elétricos do QTF foram medidos. Além disto, um estudo da influência da adição de massa nos braços do QTF foi realizado. Para a implementação do QTF no AFM, um sistema de feedback composto de um amplificador lock-in e um amplificador diferencial foi desenvolvido e testado. Adicionalmente, um novo cabeçote para o microscópio foi desenvolvido para adaptar o QTF ao microscópio. The characterization of quartz tuning forks (QTF) was performed in this dissertation, aiming to implement them as sensors at an atomic force microscope (AFM). The QTF has several advantages over traditional silicon cantilevers. Used in dynamic AFM modes, the QTF has higher quality factor and stiffness, allowing better force sensitivity and lower amplitudes of oscillation for imaging than traditional cantilevers. In this work, electrical and mechanical parameters of the QTF were obtained. Furthermore, a study of the influence of additional mass on the QTF prongs was performed. To implement the QTF at the AFM, a feedback system composed of a lock-in amplifier and a differential amplifier was developed and tested. Additionally, a new microscope head was designed to adapt the QTF to the microscope. Palavras-chave

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Carbon-fiber tips for scanning probe microscopes and molecular electronics experiments

Cited by 5 publications

References 18 publications

Carbon tips for all-carbon single-molecule electronics

Carbon tips for all-carbon single-molecule electronics

Fabrication of ultra-sharp tips from carbon fiber for scanning tunneling microscopy investigations of epitaxial graphene on 6H-SiC(0001) surface

Cristais Osciladores De Quartzo Como Sensores Para Microscopia De Força Atômica

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