Elongation and plasmonic activity of embedded metal nanoparticles following heavy ion irradiation.

Shape modification of embedded nanoparticles by swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation is an effective way to produce nanostructures with controlled size, shape, and orientation. In this study, randomly oriented gold nanorods embedded in SiO are shown to re-orient along the ion beam direction. The degree of orientation depends on the irradiation conditions and the nanorod's initial size.

Cellulose nanofibrils prepared by gentle drying methods reveal the limits of helium ion microscopy imaging.

TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (TCNFs) have unique properties, which can be utilised in many application fields from printed electronics to packaging. Visual characterisation of TCNFs has been commonly performed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). However, a novel imaging technique, Helium Ion Microscopy (HIM), offers benefits over SEM, including higher resolution and the possibility of imaging non-conductive samples uncoated.

Identifying yeasts using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

The molecular fingerprints of yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Dekkera bruxellensis, and Wickerhamomyces anomalus (former name Pichia anomala) have been examined using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and helium ion microscopy (HIM). The SERS spectra obtained from cell cultures (lysate and non-treated cells) distinguish between these very closely related fungal species. Highly SERS active silver nano-particles suitable for detecting complex biomolecules were fabricated using a simple synthesis route.

Plasmonic Nanosensor Array for Multiplexed DNA-based Pathogen Detection.

In this research we introduce a plasmonic nanoparticle based optical biosensor for monitoring of molecular binding events. The sensor utilizes spotted gold nanoparticle arrays as sensing platform. The nanoparticle spots are functionalized with capture DNA sequences complementary to the analyte (target) DNA.

Generalized Noise Study of Solid-State Nanopores at Low Frequencies.

Nanopore technology has been extensively investigated for analysis of biomolecules, and a success story in this field concerns DNA sequencing using a nanopore chip featuring an array of hundreds of biological nanopores (BioNs). Solid-state nanopores (SSNs) have been explored to attain longer lifetime and higher integration density than what BioNs can offer, but SSNs are generally considered to generate higher noise whose origin remains to be confirmed. Here, we systematically study low-frequency (including thermal and flicker) noise characteristics of SSNs measuring 7 to 200 nm in diameter drilled through a 20-nm-thick SiN membrane by focused ion milling.

Effect of Boron Doping on the Wear Behavior of the Growth and Nucleation Surfaces of Micro- and Nanocrystalline Diamond Films.

B-doped diamond has become the ultimate material for applications in the field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), which require both highly wear resistant and electrically conductive diamond films and microstructures. Despite the extensive research of the tribological properties of undoped diamond, to date there is very limited knowledge of the wear properties of highly B-doped diamond. Therefore, in this work a comprehensive investigation of the wear behavior of highly B-doped diamond is presented.

Simulations on time-of-flight ERDA spectrometer performance.

The performance of a time-of-flight spectrometer consisting of two timing detectors and an ionization chamber energy detector has been studied using Monte Carlo simulations for the recoil creation and ion transport in the sample and detectors. The ionization chamber pulses have been calculated using Shockley-Ramo theorem and the pulse processing of a digitizing data acquisition setup has been modeled. Complete time-of-flight-energy histograms were simulated under realistic experimental conditions.

Measuring the electrical resistivity and contact resistance of vertical carbon nanotube bundles for application as interconnects.

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are known to be materials with potential for manufacturing sub-20 nm high aspect ratio vertical interconnects in future microchips. In order to be successful with respect to contending against established tungsten or copper based interconnects, though, CNT must fulfil their promise of also providing low electrical resistance in integrated structures using scalable integration processes fully compatible with silicon technology. Hence, carefully engineered growth and integration solutions are required before we can fully exploit their potentialities.

The evolution of pseudo-spherical silicon nanocrystals to tetrahedra, mediated by phosphonic acid surfactants.

Silicon nanocrystals were synthesized at high temperatures and high pressures by the thermolysis of diphenylsilane using a combination of supercritical carbon dioxide and phosphonic acid surfactants. Size and shape evolution from pseudo-spherical silicon nanocrystals to well-faceted tetrahedral-shaped silicon crystals with edge lengths in the range of 30-400 nm were observed with sequentially decreasing surfactant chain lengths. The silicon nanocrystals were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), x-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman scattering spectroscopy.

Atomic layer deposition of tungsten(III) oxide thin films from W2(NMe2)6 and water: precursor-based control of oxidation state in the thin film material.

The atomic layer deposition of W2O3 films was demonstrated employing W2(NMe2)6 and water as precursors with substrate temperatures between 140 and 240 degrees C. At 180 degrees C, surface saturative growth was achieved with W2(NMe2)6 vapor pulse lengths of >/=2 s. The growth rate was about 1.