Long Distance Roughness of Fracture Surfaces in Heterogeneous Materials

1998 ◽  
Vol 539 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Hinojosa ◽  
E. Bouchaud ◽  
B. Nghiem

AbstractThe long distance roughness of fatigue fracture surfaces of a nickel-based superalloy is reported for two samples of different grain size. Statistical analysis over a wide range of length scales, from a few nanometers to a few millimeters, using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy allows to obtain accurately the self-affine correlation length. Long distance fracture profiles of 14,000 points were obtained and digitized from overlapping electron micrographs at a resolution of 0.22 micrometers/point. We have also analyzed the long distance roughness of the mirror zone on a soda-lime glass using atomic force microscopy. In the case of the nickel superalloy, correlation lengths are found to correspond well to the grain size. This result gives information about the mechanism of crack propagation in heterogeneous materials and shows that the correlation length of fracture surfaces is of the order of the largest microstructural heterogeneity.

1995 ◽  
Vol 382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Pehnt ◽  
Douglas L. Schulz ◽  
Calvin J. Curtis ◽  
Helio R. Moutinho ◽  
Amy Swartzlander ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTIn this article we report the first nanoparticle-derived route to smooth, dense, phase-pure CdTe thin films. Capped CdTe nanoparticles were prepared by injection of a mixture of Cd(CH3)2, (n-C8H17)3 PTe and (n-C8H17)3P into (n-C8H17)3PO at elevated temperatures. The resultant nanoparticles 32-45 Å in diameter were characterized by x-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. CdTe thin film deposition was accomplished by dissolving CdTe nanoparticles in butanol and then spraying the solution onto SnO2-coated glass substrates at variable susceptor temperatures. Smooth and dense CdTe thin films were obtained using growth temperatures approximately 200 °C less than conventional spray pyrolysis approaches. CdTe films were characterized by x-ray diffraction, UV-Vis spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy. An increase in crystallinity and average grain size as determined by x-ray diffraction was noted as growth temperature was increased from 240 to 300 °C. This temperature dependence of film grain size was further confirmed by atomic force microscopy with no remnant nanocrystalline morphological features detected. UV-Vis characterization of the CdTe thin films revealed a gradual decrease of the band gap (i.e., elimination of nanocrystalline CdTe phase) as the growth temperature was increased with bulk CdTe optical properties observed for films grown at 300 °C.


2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (02) ◽  
pp. 217-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
MUHAMMAD MAQBOOL ◽  
TAHIRZEB KHAN

Thin films of pure silver were deposited on glass substrate by thermal evaporation process at room temperature. Surface characterization of the films was performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Thickness of the films varied between 20 nm and 72.8 nm. XRD analysis provided a sharp peak at 38.75° from silver. These results indicated that the films deposited on glass substrates at room temperature are crystalline. Three-dimension and top view pictures of the films were obtained by AFM to study the grain size and its dependency on various factors. Average grain size increased with the thickness of the deposited films. A minimum grain size of 8 nm was obtained for 20 nm thick films, reaching 41.9 nm when the film size reaches 60 nm. Grain size was calculated from the information provided by the XRD spectrum and averaging method. We could not find any sequential variation in the grain size with the growth rate.


2016 ◽  
Vol 108 (24) ◽  
pp. 243101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aymeric Vecchiola ◽  
Pascal Chrétien ◽  
Sophie Delprat ◽  
Karim Bouzehouane ◽  
Olivier Schneegans ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 409 ◽  
pp. 113-122
Author(s):  
José M. López-Cepero ◽  
Sheldon M. Wiederhorn ◽  
António Ramirez de Arellano-López ◽  
Julian Martínez-Fernández

Rhombohedral r-plane fracture surfaces in sapphire are analyzed by optical microscopy and by atomic force microscopy. Features of special interest include steps, lines and angles on the surface that appear to have crystallographic origins. A classification and description of these features is given over a scale ranging from hundreds of micrometers to tens of nanometers. Preferential directions in the surface are identified and related to the crystalline orientation of the sample; an attempt is made to identify the underlying phenomenology behind the appearance of each kind of feature.


2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 4127-4131 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. Okram ◽  
Kh. Namrata Devi ◽  
H. Sanatombi ◽  
Ajay Soni ◽  
V. Ganesan ◽  
...  

Nanocrystalline nickel powders were prepared with grain size 'd' in the range 40–100 nm diameters through polyol method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used for characterization. XRD of the prepared samples consistently matched with standard fcc structure of nickel without any impurity peak. Detailed analysis and calculations using Scherrer equation for (111) peak revealed systematic increase in line width and peak shifting towards lower diffraction 2θ angles with decrease in nickel to ethylene glycol mole ratio. Different values of d estimated from various peaks of each sample suggested associated microstrains in the nanograins. Values of d estimated from X-ray diffraction patterns were compared with those obtained from atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy results, and discussed. Observed lattice expansion is explained, on the basis of a theoretical model of linear elasticity.


Scanning ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Stylianou ◽  
Stylianos-Vasileios Kontomaris ◽  
Colin Grant ◽  
Eleni Alexandratou

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is an easy-to-use, powerful, high-resolution microscope that allows the user to image any surface and under any aqueous condition. AFM has been used in the investigation of the structural and mechanical properties of a wide range of biological matters including biomolecules, biomaterials, cells, and tissues. It provides the capacity to acquire high-resolution images of biosamples at the nanoscale and allows at readily carrying out mechanical characterization. The capacity of AFM to image and interact with surfaces, under physiologically relevant conditions, is of great importance for realistic and accurate medical and pharmaceutical applications. The aim of this paper is to review recent trends of the use of AFM on biological materials related to health and sickness. First, we present AFM components and its different imaging modes and we continue with combined imaging and coupled AFM systems. Then, we discuss the use of AFM to nanocharacterize collagen, the major fibrous protein of the human body, which has been correlated with many pathological conditions. In the next section, AFM nanolevel surface characterization as a tool to detect possible pathological conditions such as osteoarthritis and cancer is presented. Finally, we demonstrate the use of AFM for studying other pathological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), through the investigation of amyloid fibrils and viruses, respectively. Consequently, AFM stands out as the ideal research instrument for exploring the detection of pathological conditions even at very early stages, making it very attractive in the area of bio- and nanomedicine.


2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (13) ◽  
pp. 5872-5877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qingqing Yang ◽  
Qian Ma ◽  
Kate M. Herum ◽  
Chonghe Wang ◽  
Nirav Patel ◽  
...  

Nanoscale multipoint structure–function analysis is essential for deciphering the complexity of multiscale biological and physical systems. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) allows nanoscale structure–function imaging in various operating environments and can be integrated seamlessly with disparate probe-based sensing and manipulation technologies. Conventional AFMs only permit sequential single-point analysis; widespread adoption of array AFMs for simultaneous multipoint study is challenging owing to the intrinsic limitations of existing technological approaches. Here, we describe a prototype dispersive optics-based array AFM capable of simultaneously monitoring multiple probe–sample interactions. A single supercontinuum laser beam is utilized to spatially and spectrally map multiple cantilevers, to isolate and record beam deflection from individual cantilevers using distinct wavelength selection. This design provides a remarkably simplified yet effective solution to overcome the optical cross-talk while maintaining subnanometer sensitivity and compatibility with probe-based sensors. We demonstrate the versatility and robustness of our system on parallel multiparametric imaging at multiscale levels ranging from surface morphology to hydrophobicity and electric potential mapping in both air and liquid, mechanical wave propagation in polymeric films, and the dynamics of living cells. This multiparametric, multiscale approach provides opportunities for studying the emergent properties of atomic-scale mechanical and physicochemical interactions in a wide range of physical and biological networks.


2012 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 25-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Sweetman ◽  
Sam Jarvis ◽  
Rosanna Danza ◽  
Philip Moriarty

Background: Noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) now regularly produces atomic-resolution images on a wide range of surfaces, and has demonstrated the capability for atomic manipulation solely using chemical forces. Nonetheless, the role of the tip apex in both imaging and manipulation remains poorly understood and is an active area of research both experimentally and theoretically. Recent work employing specially functionalised tips has provided additional impetus to elucidating the role of the tip apex in the observed contrast. Results: We present an analysis of the influence of the tip apex during imaging of the Si(100) substrate in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) at 5 K using a qPlus sensor for noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM). Data demonstrating stable imaging with a range of tip apexes, each with a characteristic imaging signature, have been acquired. By imaging at close to zero applied bias we eliminate the influence of tunnel current on the force between tip and surface, and also the tunnel-current-induced excitation of silicon dimers, which is a key issue in scanning probe studies of Si(100). Conclusion: A wide range of novel imaging mechanisms are demonstrated on the Si(100) surface, which can only be explained by variations in the precise structural configuration at the apex of the tip. Such images provide a valuable resource for theoreticians working on the development of realistic tip structures for NC-AFM simulations. Force spectroscopy measurements show that the tip termination critically affects both the short-range force and dissipated energy.


1995 ◽  
Vol 378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiyu Hu ◽  
Zhihua Hu ◽  
K. T. Chen ◽  
M. A. George ◽  
A. Burger ◽  
...  

AbstractGold and platinum metal contacts have been deposited on the cleaved and etched surfaces of ZnCdTe single crystals by “electroless” method from AuCl3, PtCl2 and PtCl4 aqueous solutions with different concentrations and deposition times. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has been employed to reveal the surface morphology of metal contacts and it was found that for AuCl3 and PtCl2 solutions, the surface morphology and grain size are similar, and uniformly distributed. The surface morphology on contact made from PtCl4 shows a larger grain size, higher roughness and non-uniformity. The effect of different heat treatments to the surface morphology will be discussed.


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