Characterization of fragile nanostructures using scanning force microscopy

The possibility of using scanning force microscopy (SFM) to image monolayer arrays of nanometer diameter gold clusters on flat substrates has been investigated. A major difficulty in SFM studies of supported cluster arrays is the interaction force between the SFM probe and the clusters which results in the clusters moving on the substrate during imaging. The addition of a carbon nanotube to the tip of the SFM probe reduces this interaction force, resulting in stable, tapping mode height images of the supported cluster arrays. However, resolution of individual nanometer-size cluster in an array requires reduction of the endform radius of the nanotubes. In an attempt to reduce the effects of image dilation, the endform shape of the nanotube has been modified by spark etching. Also, metal atoms have been deposited onto the tip endform by sparking the tip of the nanotube by sparking the tip against a metal substrate and by electro-depositing metal onto the tip. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using embedded-atom-method (EAM) potentials have been used to model the compression behavior of nanometer-size gold clusters. The simulations examined the behavior of free and supported gold particles compressed with normal and shear forces. These results have been used to explain previously observed descrepencies between the calculated and measured elastic modulus of nanometer-size gold clusters