FUKUZAWA LAB. Nagoya University
Real-time observation of nanometer-thick liquid film
Outline
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This system can observe nano-thick liquid or solid films in real-time using the principle of ellipsometry. Since ellipsometry using the polarization analysis method calculates the film thickness at a single point of the sample, it cannot observe its thickness distribution. We developed our originally developed optical system for ellipsometry. We succeeded in observing the film thickness distribution in real-time with the measurement resolution of 0.1 nm and the lateral resolution of 0.1 μm.
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Applications
・Real-time observation of liquid lubrication film with nanometer thickness in a hard disk drive
・Visualization of the deposition process of photoresist and silicon oxide insulating film in semiconductor devices
・Visualization of nano-thickness functional thin films such as self-assembled films, LB films, DNA microfluidic devices, and antigen-antibody reaction films
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Keywords
Molecularly thin film, ultra-thin film, nano-thickness thin film, visualization, real-time, ellipsometry microscopy, imaging ellipsometry, micro/nanotribology
Nano-scale mapping of friction and adhesion forces using micro-mechanical probe
Outline
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We develop a friction force microscope using a micromechanical probe with a unique structure. Conventional cantilever-type probes are not easy to measure the forces in a large area because the probe tip's deformation interferes with the force in two directions, which are friction force and load. We developed a micromechanical probe with the structure that enables independent measurement of friction force and load to solve this problem. We succeeded in measuring the distribution of friction force and load with the force resolution of nN and the lateral resolution of nm by collaborating with AFM. Additionally, we successfully measured the dynamic characteristics by installing a driving mechanism using electrostatic force.
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Applications
・Evaluation of high-precision polished surfaces
・Evaluation of characteristics of surfaces and interfaces such as distribution of lubrication thin film
・Identification of materials by their frictional properties and evaluation of the distribution of each component and material in composite materials
・Microscopic clarification and characterization of friction, lubrication, and wear phenomena (tribological phenomena)
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Keywords
Friction Force Microscopy, FFM, Biaxial Independent FFM, LFM, Atomic Force Microscopy, AFM, Probe Microscopy, Micro/Nano Tribology, Composite Materials, Micromachine
Nano-tribology & Nano-rheology measurements
Outline
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We developed a highly sensitive shear force measurement system using an optical fiber with a spherical tip, whose radius of curvature was several to 100 µm). Our method successfully measured with the force sensitivity of 0.1 nN and the gap resolution between the probe tip and the sample surface of 0.1 nm. This system can be applied to nanotribology measurements to elucidate friction phenomena and lubrication properties at the molecular level and high-precision nano-rheology measurements on polymer surfaces and solid-liquid interfaces.
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Applications
・Measurement of mechanical properties of liquids and polymer solutions into nanometer-sized gaps
・Measurement of mechanical properties of molecular-level liquid thin films adsorbed on solid surfaces
・Nanorheological measurement of polymer surfaces
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Keywords
Nanotribology, nanorheology, surface rheology, thin-film lubrication, soft matter, interfacial water, dynamic viscoelasticity
Please feel free to contact us if you have a request for a sample that you would like to evaluate and measure.
Contact Info.
Associate Prof. Shintaro Itoh
shintaro.itoh(at)mae.nagoya-u.ac.jp