27 research outputs found
Analytical method for parameterizing the random profile components of nanosurfaces imaged by atomic force microscopy
The functional properties of many technological surfaces in biotechnology,
electronics, and mechanical engineering depend to a large degree on the
individual features of their nanoscale surface texture, which in turn are a
function of the surface manufacturing process. Among these features, the
surface irregularities and self-similarity structures at different spatial
scales, especially in the range of 1 to 100 nm, are of high importance because
they greatly affect the surface interaction forces acting at a nanoscale
distance. An analytical method for parameterizing the surface irregularities
and their correlations in nanosurfaces imaged by atomic force microscopy (AFM)
is proposed. In this method, flicker noise spectroscopy - a statistical physics
approach - is used to develop six nanometrological parameters characterizing
the high-frequency contributions of jump- and spike-like irregularities into
the surface texture. These contributions reflect the stochastic processes of
anomalous diffusion and inertial effects, respectively, in the process of
surface manufacturing. The AFM images of the texture of corrosion-resistant
magnetite coatings formed on low-carbon steel in hot nitrate solutions with
coating growth promoters at different temperatures are analyzed. It is shown
that the parameters characterizing surface spikiness are able to quantify the
effect of process temperature on the corrosion resistance of the coatings. It
is suggested that these parameters can be used for predicting and
characterizing the corrosion-resistant properties of magnetite coatings.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables; to be published in Analys
Assessing the location of surface plasmons over nanotriangle and nanohole arrays of different size and periodicity
The increasing popularity of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor design based on nanotriangle or nanohole arrays, and the possibility to manufacture substrates at the transition between these plasmonic substrates, makes them ideal candidates for the establishment of structure property relationships. This work features near diffraction-limited Raman images and finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulations of nanotriangle and nanohole array substrates, which clearly demonstrate that the localization of the hot spot on these SERS substrates is significantly influenced by the ratio of diameter/periodicity (D/P). The experimental and simulation data reveal that the hot spots are located around nanotriangles (D/P = 1), characteristic of localized SPR. Decreasing the D/P ratio to 0.75-0.7 led to the creation of nanohole arrays, which promoted the excitation of a propagating surface plasmon (SP) delocalized over the metal network. The optimal SERS intensity was consistently achieved at this transition from nanotriangles to nanoholes, for every periodicity (650 nm to 1.5 mu m) and excitation wavelength (633 and 785 nm) investigated, despite the presence or absence of a plasmonic band near the laser excitation. Further decreasing the D/P ratio led to excitation of a localized SP located around the rim of nanohole arrays for D/P of 0.5-0.6, in agreement with previous reports. In addition, this manuscript provides the first evidence that the hot spots are positioned inside the hole for D/P of 0.4, with the center being the region of highest electric field and Raman intensity. The compelling experimental evidence and FDTD simulations offer an overall understanding of the plasmonic properties of nanohole arrays as SERS and SPR sensors, which is of significant value in advancing the diversity of applications from such surfaces