Multimodal real-time frequency tracking of cantilever arrays in liquid environment for biodetection: Comprehensive setup and performance analysis.

We present a nanomechanical platform for real-time quantitative label-free detection of target biomolecules in a liquid environment with mass sensitivity down to few pg. Newly fabricated arrays of up to 18 cantilevers are integrated in a micromachined fluidic chamber, connected to software-controlled fluidic pumps for automated sample injections. We discuss two functionalization approaches to independently sensitize the interface of different cantilevers.

Deformation and fracture of crystalline tungsten and fabrication of composite STM probes.

Fracturing microscale constrictions in metallic wires, such as tungsten, platinum, or platinum-iridium, is a common fabrication method used to produce atomically sharp tips for scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), field-emission microscopy and field ion microscopy. Typically, a commercial polycrystalline drawn wire is locally thinned and then fractured by means of a dislocation slip inside the constriction. We examine a special case where a dislocation-free microscale constriction is created and fractured in a single crystal tungsten rod with a long side parallel to the [100] direction.

Manipulating and probing the growth of plasmonic nanoparticle arrays using light.

Highly ordered self-assembled silver nanoparticle (NP) arrays have been produced by glancing angle deposition on faceted c-plane Al2O3 templates. The NP shape can be tuned by changing the substrate temperature during deposition. Reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy has been used to monitor the plasmonic evolution of the sample during the growth.