A remote-sensing acoustic method for implementing position control feedback in Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) is presented. The capabilities of this feedback control using the new Whispering Gallery Acoustic Sensing (WGAS) method is demonstrated in a Shear-force Scanning Probe Microscope that uses a sharp probe attached to a piezoelectric Quartz Tuning Fork (QTF) firmly mounted on the microscope's frame. As the QTF is electrically driven its mechanical response reaches the SPM frame which then acts as a resonant cavity producing acoustic modes measured with an acoustic sensor strategically placed on the SPM head. The novelty of the WGAS resides in using an SPM frame with a perimeter closely matching the intervening acoustic wavelength to act as a resonant cavity. The whispering gallery cavity constitutes an acoustic amplifier for the mechanical motion of the QTF probe. The observed monotonic behavior of the whispering gallery acoustic signal as a function of the probe sample distance is exploited here for tip-sample distance control with nanometer sensitivity, thus allowing topographic characterization as the probe is scanned across the sample's surface. This thesis includes a description of a Labview based programming for the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) card used in the automated control of the WGAS feedback microscope, a solution for improving the effective resolution of the Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) and initial results towards theoretically modeling the WGAS working principle.

The thesis is aimed at the characterization of carbon nanotubes and silver nanowires by Scanning Probe Microscopy, namely Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Conductive AFM (CAFM) and Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy (SNOM). Carbon nanotubes were analyzed by STM, AFM and CAFM microscopy. In a designed apparatus the silver nanowires were fabricated by template assisted deposition and were analyzed with respect to their geometry (AFM), local conductivity (CAFM) and optical properties (SNOM, microreflex spectroscopy). It was found that preferential type of carbon nanowires depends on the fabrication process. The measurements of local conductivity of the nanotubes revealed the similarity with the STM measurements. The AFM measurements of silver nanowires confirmed their growth inside the pores of polycarbonate template. Single nanowires exhibits the semiconducting behavior according to I--V measurement and localized plasmon resonances.

No description available.

The work of this thesis comprises extensive Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy (NC-AFM) characterization of clean metal-oxide (YSZ(100)/(111) and MgO(100)) and graphitic (HOPG) supports as templates for the novel, photochemically induced nucleation of cobalt oxide nanostructures, particularly Cobalt (III) Oxide. The nanostructure-support surfaces were also studied by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to verify the nature of the supported cobalt oxide and to corroborate the surface topographic and phase NC-AFM data. Heteroepitaxial growth of Co2O3 nanostructures proves to exhibit a variety of different growth modes based on the structure of the support surface. On this basis, single-crystal support surfaces ranging from nonpolar to polar and atomically flat to highly defective and reactive were chosen, again, yielding numerous substrate-nanostructure interactions that could be probed by high-performance surface science techniques.

The thesis focuses on the development of instruments used for surfaces and nanostructures characterization. Individual techniques of scanning probe microscopy provide different information of the sample surface. The resolution of scanning probe microscopy, providing 3D topography information, reaches subnanometer values or even an atomic level. Therefore, the scanning probe microscopy is one of the most employed method in the field of nanotechnology. The thesis describes the details of development of two scanning probe microscopes intended for measurement under ultra high vacuum conditions. As for the first one, many changes were proposed leading to its better variability, extended functionality and increased user comfort. The second microscope is being design with the aim of its combination with other analytic techniques, especially with scanning electron microscopy. An integral part of scanning probe microscopes is a precise positioning system for navigation of the probe to the selected site. Therefore, the thesis also deals with the development of linear piezoceramic actuators used not only in the ultra high vacuum compatible microscopes but also as a general purpose nanomanipulators.

In dieser Dissertation wird die Selbstorganisation von pi-konjugierten (makro)molekularen Architekturen durch Chemisorption oder Physisorption in hochgeordnete supramolekulare nanoskopische und mikroskopische Strukturen auf festen Trägern untersucht. Ihre Struktur und Dynamik wurden auf molekularer Skala hauptsächlich mit Rastersondenmikroskopien, insbesondere mit Rastertunnel- und Rasterkraftmikroskopie, untersucht. Dies erlaubte die Charakterisierung einer Reihe von Phänomenen, die sowohl an Fest-Flüssig-Grenzflächen auftreten, wie beispielsweise die Dynamik der einzelnen molekularen Nanostäbchen (Ostwald Reifung) und die Fraktionierung steifer Polymerstäbchen durch Physisorption an der Grafitoberfläche aus der Lösung heraus, als auch in trockenen Filmen vorkommen wie die Selbstorganisation steifer Polymerstäbchen zu Nanobändern mit molekularen Querschnitten, die sich epitaktisch auf Oberflächen orientieren lassen und auch die Ausbildung gestapelter Architekturen von diskförmigen Molekülen. Außerdem wurden die elektronischen Eigenschaften der untersuchten Systeme mit Hilfe von Photoelektronenspektroskopie charakterisiert. Die entwickelten Nanostrukturen sind nicht nur für Nanokonstruktionen auf festen Oberflächen von Interesse, sondern besitzen auch Eigenschaften, die sie für Anwendungen in einer zukünftigen molekularen Elektronik prädestiniert, etwa für den Aufbau molekularer Drähte. / In this thesis the self-assembly of pi-conjugated (macro)molecular architectures, either through chemisorption or via physisorption, into highly ordered supramolecular nanoscopic and microscopic structures has been studied. On solid substrates structure and dynamics has been investigated on the molecular scale making use primarily of Scanning Probe Microscopies, in particular Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Scanning Force Microscopy. This allowed to characterize a variety of phenomena occurring both at the solid-liquid interface, such as the dynamics of the single molecular nanorods (known as Ostwald ripening), the fractionation of a solution of rigid-rod polymers upon physisorption on graphite; and in dry films, i.e. the self-assembly of rigid-rod polymers into nanoribbons with molecular cross sections which can be epitaxially oriented at surfaces and the formation ordered layered architectures of disc-like molecules. In addition the electronic properties of the investigated moieties have been studied by means of Photoelectron Spectroscopies. The nanostructures that have been developed are not only of interest for nanoconstructions on solid surfaces, but also exhibit properties that render them candidates for applications in the field of molecular electronics, in particular for building molecular nanowire devices.

This thesis presents several experiments, generally aiming at visualising the ballistic and topological transport on the high-mobility graphene/boron nitride heterostructure using the scanning gate microscope. For the first experiment, we use the scanning gate microscopy to map out the trajectories of ballistic carriers in high-mobility graphene encapsulated by hexagonal boron nitride and in a weak perpendicular magnetic field. We employ a magnetic focusing transport configuration to image carriers that emerge ballistically from an injector, follow a cyclotron path due to the Lorentz force from an applied magnetic field, and land on an adjacent collector probe. The local potential generated by the scanning tip in the vicinity of the carriers deflects their trajectories, modifying the proportion of carriers focused into the collector. By measuring the voltage at the collector while scanning the tip, we are able to obtain images with arcs that are consistent with the expected cyclotron motion. We also demonstrate that the tip can be used to redirect misaligned carriers back to the collector. For the second experiment, we investigate the graphene van der Waals structures formed by aligning monolayer graphene with insulating layers of hexagonal boron nitride which exhibit a moiré superlattice that is expected to break sublattice symmetry. However, despite an energy gap of several tens of millielectronvolts opening in the Dirac spectrum, electrical resistivity remains lower than expected at low temperature and varies between devices. While subgap states are likely to play a role in this behaviour, their precise nature is still unclear in the community. We therefore perform a scanning gate microscopy study of graphene moiré superlattice devices with comparable activation energy but with different charge disorder levels. In the device with higher charge impurity ($\sim$ 10$^-$ cm$^{-2}$) and lower resistivity ($\sim$ 10 k$\Omega$) at the Dirac point we observe scanning gate response along the graphene edges. Combined with simulations, our measurements suggest that enhanced edge doping is responsible for this effect. In addition, a device with low charge impurity ($\sim$ 10$^{9}$ cm$^{-2}$) and higher resistivity ($\sim$ 100 k$\Omega$) shows subgap states in the bulk. Our measurements provide alternative model to the prevailing theory in the literature in which the topological bandstructures of the graphene moiré superlattices entail an edge currents shunting the insulating bulk. In the third experiment, we continue our study in the graphene moir$\acute e$ superlattices with the newly reported non-local Hall signals at the main Dirac point. It has been associated with the non-zero valley Berry curvature due to the gap opening and the nonlocal signal has been interpreted as the signature of the topological valley Hall effects. However, the nature of such signal is still disputed in the community, due to the vanishing density of states near the Dirac point and the possible topological edge transport in the system. Various artificial contribution without a topological origin of the measurement scheme has also been suggested. In connection to the second experiment, we use the scanning gate microscope to image the non-local Hall resistance as well as the local resistance in the current path. By analysing the features in the two sets of images, we find evidence for topological Hall current in the bulk despite a large artificial components which cannot be distinguished in global transport measurement. In the last experiment, we show the development of a radio-frequency scanning impedance microscopy compatible with the existing scanning gate microscopy and the dilution refrigerator. We detailed the design and the implementation of the radio-frequency reflectometry and the specialised tip holder for the integration of the tip and the transmission lines. We demonstrate the capability of imaging local impedance of the sample by detecting the mechanical oscillation of the tip, the device topography, and the Landau levels in the quantum Hall regime at liquid helium temperature and milli-Kelvin temperature.

The work of this thesis comprises extensive Noncontact Atomic Force Microscopy (NC-AFM) characterization of clean metal-oxide (YSZ(100)/(111) and MgO(100)) and graphitic (HOPG) supports as templates for the novel, photochemically induced nucleation of cobalt oxide nanostructures, particularly Cobalt (III) Oxide. The nanostructure-support surfaces were also studied by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to verify the nature of the supported cobalt oxide and to corroborate the surface topographic and phase NC-AFM data. Heteroepitaxial growth of Co2O3 nanostructures proves to exhibit a variety of different growth modes based on the structure of the support surface. On this basis, single-crystal support surfaces ranging from nonpolar to polar and atomically flat to highly defective and reactive were chosen, again, yielding numerous substrate-nanostructure interactions that could be probed by high-performance surface science techniques.

Modification of the properties of solid state structures, used for gas sensing is important task in making detection and measurement systems of volatile chemical compounds. These properties depend on material, inner structure and interaction with gas atmosphere. In hybrid materials (solid-biomolecular) biochemical recognition plays important role in gas sensing mechanism. In this work the methodologies of the SPM was applied for characterization of the local point and local area properties in the gas sensitive MO films with the nanoscaled thickness that can be used for nanosystems and hybrid materials in novel types of chemical detectors. In this dissertation morphology and physical properties of metal oxide films with thickness from a few to about 50 nm was investigated and described a relationship between the gas response and film thickness. It was experimentally shown that effects of external influence on the properties of the surface nanostructures can be described by the specific characteristics of the scanning probe spectroscopy displaying the dependences of the probe contact electric current on both the probe potential and the probe pressing force. An original method based on the SPM probe controlled electrical current was proposed for the formation of nanosystems with various electrical properties on the surfaces of thin MO films. / Kryptingas kietojo kūno darinių, naudojamų išorinio dujų poveikio detekcijai, savybių keitimas yra vienas iš aktualiausių uždavinių, sprendžiamų kuriant lakiųjų cheminių junginių poveikio atpažinimo ir matavimo sistemas. Šias savybes lemia darinių medžiaga, jų struktūra bei sąveikos su dujine aplinka ypatumai, kurie hibridiniuose dariniuose iš kietojo kūno ir biomolekulių gali būti lemiami dar ir biocheminiu atpažinimu. Šiame darbe tiriami dujoms jautrūs hibridiniai dariniai ir nanosistemos, integruotos metalo oksido plėvelėse, Skenuojančio zondo mikroskopijos (SZM) metodais. Disertacijoje susieti itin plonų (<30-50 nm) SnOx sluoksnių varžos atsako į dujas bei elektrinių savybių ypatumai su sluoksnių morfologija, priklausančia nuo auginimo sąlygų ir trukmės. Eksperimentiškai įrodyta, jog SZM lokalinių srovių tyrimai, priklausomai nuo matavimo parametrų, leidžia atskirai aprašyti technologiškai keičiamas dujoms jautrių darinių charakteristikas ir tik nanosistemose vykstančius procesus, kurie, kai kuriais atvejais, gali būti stebimi ir tipiškuose dujoms jautrių darinių taikymuose. Sukurtas originalus metodas, tinkantis nanostruktūroms metalo oksidų paviršiuje formuoti bei tų struktūrų elektrinėms savybėms keisti. Skirtingai nuo literatūroje žinomo paviršiaus nanooksidinimo, pritaikyto formuoti cheminiam poveikiui atsparias dangas, mūsų metodas leidžia formuoti įvairaus elektrinio laidumo nanostruktūras metalo oksidų paviršiuje.

Kryptingas kietojo kūno darinių, naudojamų išorinio dujų poveikio detekcijai, savybių keitimas yra vienas iš aktualiausių uždavinių, sprendžiamų kuriant lakiųjų cheminių junginių poveikio atpažinimo ir matavimo sistemas. Šias savybes lemia darinių medžiaga, jų struktūra bei sąveikos su dujine aplinka ypatumai, kurie hibridiniuose dariniuose iš kietojo kūno ir biomolekulių gali būti lemiami dar ir biocheminiu atpažinimu. Šiame darbe tiriami dujoms jautrūs hibridiniai dariniai ir nanosistemos, integruotos metalo oksido plėvelėse, Skenuojančio zondo mikroskopijos (SZM) metodais. Disertacijoje susieti itin plonų (< 30-50 nm) SnOx sluoksnių varžos atsako į dujas bei elektrinių savybių ypatumai su sluoksnių morfologija, priklausančia nuo auginimo sąlygų ir trukmės. Eksperimentiškai įrodyta, jog SZM lokalinių srovių tyrimai, priklausomai nuo matavimo parametrų, leidžia atskirai aprašyti technologiškai keičiamas dujoms jautrių darinių charakteristikas ir tik nanosistemose vykstančius procesus, kurie, kai kuriais atvejais, gali būti stebimi ir tipiškuose dujoms jautrių darinių taikymuose. Sukurtas originalus metodas, tinkantis nanostruktūroms metalo oksidų paviršiuje formuoti bei tų struktūrų elektrinėms savybėms keisti. Skirtingai nuo literatūroje žinomo paviršiaus nanooksidinimo, pritaikyto formuoti cheminiam poveikiui atsparias dangas, mūsų metodas leidžia formuoti įvairaus elektrinio laidumo nanostruktūras metalo oksidų paviršiuje. / Modification of the properties of solid state structures, used for gas sensing is important task in making detection and measurement systems of volatile chemical compounds. These properties depend on material, inner structure and interaction with gas atmosphere. In hybrid materials (solid-biomolecular) biochemical recognition plays important role in gas sensing mechanism. In this work the methodologies of the SPM was applied for characterization of the local point and local area properties in the gas sensitive MO films with the nanoscaled thickness that can be used for nanosystems and hybrid materials in novel types of chemical detectors. In this dissertation morphology and physical properties of metal oxide films with thickness from a few to about 50 nm was investigated and described a relationship between the gas response and film thickness. It was experimentally shown that effects of external influence on the properties of the surface nanostructures can be described by the specific characteristics of the scanning probe spectroscopy displaying the dependences of the probe contact electric current on both the probe potential and the probe pressing force. An original method based on the SPM probe controlled electrical current was proposed for the formation of nanosystems with various electrical properties on the surfaces of thin MO films.