High-resolution apertureless near-field optical imaging using gold nanosphere probes

An apertureless near-field scanning optical microscope (ANSOM) that utilizes the enhanced field around a gold nanosphere, which is attached to the end of an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip, is used to image the local dielectric constant of the patterned metallic surfaces and local electric field around plasmonic nanosphere samples. A colloidal gold nanosphere (approximately 50 nm diameter) is linked to the extremity of the conventional etched-silicon probe. The scattering of laser radiation (633 or 532 nm) is modulated by the oscillating nanosphere-functionalized silicon tip, and the scattered radiation is detected. The approach curve (scattering intensity as a function of the tip-sample distance), the polarization dependence (scattering intensity as a function of the excitation polarization direction), and ANSOM image contrast confirm that the spherical nanosphere attached to the silicon tip acts as a point dipole that interacts with the sample surface via a dipole-dipole coupling, in which the dipole created by the field at the tip interacts with its own image dipole in the sample. The image obtained with the nanoparticle functionalized tip provides a dielectric map of the sample surface with a spatial resolution better than 80 nm. In addition, we show that the functionalized tip is capable of imaging the local electric field distribution above the plasmonic nanosphere samples. Overall, the result shows that high-resolution ANSOM is possible without the aid of the lightning-rod effect. With an improved tip-fabrication method, we believe that the method can provide a versatile high-resolution chemical imaging that is not available from usual forms of ANSOM.     

Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition of III/V-Nitrides Using Organometallics and Hydrazoic Acid Precursors

In and Ga nitride films have been deposited on various substrates using organometallics and hydrazoic acid (HN₃) as nitrogen precursor. The film deposition was carried out under low pressure (10^?510 ^?6 Torr) and low V/III ratios (1-10). XPS analysis indicated that the ln(Ga):N atomic ratio of unity can be easily achieved by adjusting the experimental conditions. For the growth of InN on Si(100) substrate, 308-nm photon beam is needed to speed up the film deposition rate. He(II) UPS spectra of InN films are in good agreement with the result of a pseudo-potential calculation for InN valence band, while the spectra of GaN compare favorably with a recent semi-ab-initio calculation and with the UPS results of GaN single crystal films. The bandgap of our GaN films is ～ 3.3 cV as determined by photoluminescence and UV-VIS absorption spectra. Raman spectra taken from GaN Films showed peaks at 66 and 88 meV for TO and LO phonons, respectively, indicating a wurtzite structure of the GaN. In a corresponding X-ray diffraction spectrum, the (002) peak is about 400 times more intense than that of the (101) peak, suggesting that the GaN layers are highly oriented with the c-axis normal or nearly so to the Al₂O₃ substrate.     

Studies on Growth of N-Polar InN Films by Pulsed Metal-organic Vapor Phase Epitaxy

We reported the growth of N-polar InN films on N-polar GaN/sapphire substrates by pulsed metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. The crystalline quality, surface morphology, optical and electrical properties of N-polar InN films were investigated in details by varying the breaking time and trimethylindium(TMIn) duration of pulse cycle. It has been found that when the breaking time and the TMIn duration in each cycle remain at 30 and 60 s, respectively, the N-polar InN film obtained exhibits a better crystalline quality and greater optical properties. Meanwhile, the surface morphology and electrical properties of the N-polar InN films also greatly depend on the given growth conditions.     

Epitaxial growth of InN films by molecular-beam epitaxy using hydrazoic acid (HN3) as an efficient nitrogen source

Epitaxial InN films have been successfully grown on c-plane GaN template by gas-source molecular-beam epitaxy with hydrazoic acid (HN3) as an efficient nitrogen source. Results in residual-gas analyzer show that the HN3 is highly dissociated to produce nitrogen radicals and can be controlled in the amounts of active nitrogen species by tuning HN3 pressure. A flat and high-purity InN epifilm has been realized at the temperature near 550 degrees C, and a growth rate of 200 nm/hr is also achieved. Moreover, the epitaxial relationship of the InN(002) on the GaN(002) is reflected in the X-ray diffraction, and the full-width at half-maximum of the InN(002) peak as narrow as 0.05 degrees is related to a high-quality crystallinity. An infrared photoluminescence (PL) emission peak at 0.705 eV and the integrated intensity increasing linearly with excitation power suggest that the observed PL can be attributed to a free-to-bound recombination.     

Cantilever tip near-field surface-enhanced Raman imaging of tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) on silver nanoparticles-coated substrates

The near-field surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) images of tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) adsorbed on a silver nanoparticles-coated substrate were obtained with a scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM, or near-field scanning optical microscopy, NSOM) using a cantilever tip. In comparison with the most widely used fiber tip for SNOM, the cantilever tip has higher optical throughput and better thermal stability, making it more suitable for detecting the extremely low Raman signal in the near-field spectroscopic investigations. Our preliminary results show that the near-field SERS with the higher spatial resolution can provide richer fingerprint information than the far-field SERS. A comparison of the two types of images shows that there are more SERS than SEF hot spots, and the two types of hot spots do not overlap. More surprisingly, the near-field SERS spectra differ from the far-field SERS spectra obtained on the same sample in the band frequency and relative intensities of some major Raman bands, and some IR-active bands were observed with the near-field mode. These results are explained mainly by the electric field gradient effect and heterogeneous polarization character that operate only in the near-field SERS.     

UV dose measurements of photosensitive dermatosis patients by polycrystalline GaN-based portable self-data-acquisition UV monitors

We have developed a UV monitor with polycrystalline (poly-) gallium nitride (GaN) UV sensors and evaluated its performance from the viewpoint of its effectiveness for use with photosensitive dermatosis patients. The poly-GaN UV sensor is sensitive to UV light from 280 to 410 nm even without optical filters. The UV monitor is a portable self-data-acquisition instrument with a minimum detection level (defined as average UV intensity over 290 to 400 nm) of 2 microW/cm2 and can store UV dose data for 128 days. It allows easy measurement of four orders of magnitude of ambient UV intensity and dose from indoor light to direct solar radiation in summer. Trial use of the UV monitor by five xeroderma pigmentosum patients started in June 2000 and was carried out for 1 year. It was demonstrated that the UV monitor was useful in improving their quality of life.     

Formation of indium nitride nanorods within mesoporous silica SBA-15

We report the first formation of arrays of InN nanorods inside the nanoscale channels of mesoporous silica SBA-15. In(NO3)3 dissolved in methanol was incorporated into SBA-15 powder without prior pore surface functionalization. Formation of InN nanorod arrays was carried out by ammonolysis at 700 degrees C for 8 h. The final products have been characterized by FT-IR spectra, (29)Si MAS NMR spectra, Raman spectra, XRD patterns, TEM images, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm measurements, and optical spectroscopy. The freestanding InN nanorods observed after silica framework removal with HF solution show diameters of 6-7.5 nm and lengths of 25-50 nm. Formation of a trace amount of In2O3 was also verified. The InN nanorods exhibit a broad band centered at around 550-600 nm, and a band gap energy of 1.5 eV was determined. No light absorption in the near-IR region was measured. The nanorods give a weak emission band centered at around 600 nm. These optical properties are believed to be related to the possible incorporation of oxygen during InN nanorod synthesis.     

GaN and GaxIn1−xN Nanoparticles with Tunable Indium Content: Synthesis and Characterization

Semiconducting GaN and Ga_xIn_1?xN nanoparticles (4–10 nm in diameter, depending on the metal ratio) with tunable indium content are prepared through a chemical synthesis (the urea‐glass route). The bandgap of the ternary system depends on its composition, and therefore, the color of the final material can be turned from bright yellow (the color of pure GaN) to blue (the color of pure InN). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM and HRTEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images confirm the nanoparticle character and homogeneity of the as‐prepared samples. X‐ray diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction (EDX), elemental mapping, and UV/Vis, IR, and Raman spectroscopy investigations are used to confirm the incorporation of indium into the crystal structure of GaN. These nanoparticles, possessing adjusted optical properties, are expected to have potential applications in the fabrication of novel optoelectronic devices.     

Physical and electrical properties of chemical vapor grown GaN Nano/microstructures

Wurtzitic gallium nitride nano- and microleaves were controlled grown through a facile chemical vapor deposition method. This is the first report of GaN nanoleaves, a new morphology of GaN nanostructures. The as-grown GaN structures were characterized by means of X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, transmission electron microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction. Raman scattering spectra of the GaN leaves were studied. Field effect transistors based on individual GaN nanoleaves were fabricated, and the electrical transport results revealed a pronounced n-type gating effect of the GaN nanostructures.     

Effect of Pressure on Electronic Structures and Optical Properties of Rocksalt InN

The electronic structures and optical properties of rocksalt indium nitride (InN) under pres-sure were studied using the first-principles calculation by considering the exchange and cor-relation potentials with the generalized gradient approximation. The calculated lattice con-stant shows good agreement with the experimental value. It is interestingly found that the band gap energy E_g at the Γ or X point remarkably increases with increasing pressure, but E_g at the L point does not increase obviously. The pressure coefficient of E_g is calculated to be 44 meV/GPa at the Γ point. Moreover, the optical properties of rocksalt InN were calculated and discussed based on the calculated band structures and electronic density of states.     

Benzene thermal conversion to nanocrystalline indium nitride from sulfide at low temperature

A benzene thermal conversion route has been successfully developed to prepare nanocrystalline indium nitride at 180-200 degrees C by choosing NaNH(2) and In(2)S(3) as novel nitrogen and indium sources. This route has been also extended to the synthesis of other group III nitrides. The product InN was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, and infrared spectroscopy (IR). The optical properties of nanocrystalline InN were also recorded by means of UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, indicating that the as-prepared sample was within the quantum confinement regime. Finally, the formation mechanism was also investigated.     

Optical and field emission properties of thin single-crystalline GaN nanowires

Thin high-quality gallium nitride (GaN) nanowires were synthesized by a catalytic chemical vapor deposition method. The synthesized GaN nanowires with hexagonal single-crystalline structure had thin diameters of 10-50 nm and lengths of tens of micrometers. The thin GaN nanowires revealed UV bands at 3.481 and 3.285 eV in low-temperature PL measurements due to the recombination of donor-bound excitons and donor-acceptor pairs, respectively. The blue shifts of UV bands in the low-temperature PL measurement were observed, indicating quantum confinement effects in the thin GaN nanowires which have smaller diameters than the exciton Bohr radius, 11 nm. For field emission properties of GaN nanowires, the turn-on field of GaN nanowires was 8.5 V/microm and the current density was about 0.2 mA/cm(2) at 17.5 V/microm, which is sufficient for the applications of field emission displays and vacuum microelectronic devices. Moreover, the GaN nanowires indicated stronger emission stability compared with carbon nanotubes.     

Processing and structure of gallium nitride—gallium oxide platelet nanostructures

Gallium nitride-gallium oxide structures were formed by heat-treating gallium nitride (GaN) powders in several gas environments at temperatures from 400°C to 900°C. The platelet nanostructured particles were examined at several stages of oxidation by microscopic, structural, chemical and optical spectroscopic techniques. Particle morphology, nanophase characterization and photoluminescence data showed that the oxide layers passivate the GaN platelets surfaces and significantly reduce the yellow emission while enhancing near band-edge emission.     

Near-field fluorescence spectroscopy and photochemistry of organic mesoscopic materials

In this Review, an emerging research field of near-field fluorescence and photochemistry studies on molecular materials is introduced and relevant background, instrumentation, attractive topics, and future perspectives are discussed. Principles of near-field scanning optical microscope and technically important points are described, and our picosecond near-field fluorescence microspectroscopic system is explained. Its high performance of 100 nm spatial, a few ps temporal, and 1 nm spectral resolutions makes it possible to correlate topography, fluorescence image, fluorescence spectrum, and fluorescence rise and decay curve with each other. Near-field fluorescence spectroscopy reveals thickness-dependent fluorescence spectra of tetracene microcrystals, relations between photophysics and morphology of charge transfer microcrystals, and inhomogeneous inner structure of single microcrystals in anthracene-tetracene films. Similar fluorescence and morphology studies are described for polymer films, Langmuir-Blodgett films, and J aggregates. Some anthracene solids show interesting photothermal and photochemical nanometer morphological changes, while photoisomerization in organic crystals, and photolithography and ablation of polymer films upon near-field excitation are introduced. Future perspectives near-field excitation with shorter wavelength and/or higher intensity and various kinds of pump-probe measurement are discussed in view of photochemistry studies.     

Setup of a scanning near field infrared microscope (SNIM): imaging of sub-surface nano-structures in gallium-doped silicon

We have realized a scanning near-field infrared microscope in the 3-4 microm wavelength range. As a light source, a tunable high power continuous wave infrared optical parametric oscillator with an output power of up to 2.9 W in the 3-4 microm range has been set up. Using scanning near field infrared microscopy (SNIM) imaging we have been able to obtain a lateral resolution of < or =30 nm at a wavelength of 3.2 microm, which is far below the far-field resolution limit of lambda/2. Using this "chemical nanoscope" we could image a sub-surface structure of implanted gallium ions in a topographically flat silicon wafer giving evidence for a near-field contrast. The observed contrast is explained in terms of the effective infrared reflection as a function of the sub-surface gallium doping concentration. The future use of the setup for nm imaging in the chemically important OH, N-H and C-H stretching vibration is discussed.     

N2流量对GaN的形貌及光学和电学性能的影响

采用化学气相沉积法(CVD)在Si(100)衬底上以Ni为催化剂, 金属Ga和NH₃为原料合成了GaN微纳米结构, 并研究了N₂流量对产物GaN的形貌及光学和电学性能的影响。利用场发射扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、X射线衍射仪(XRD)、X-ray能谱仪(EDS)、光致发光谱(PL)和霍尔效应测试仪(HMS-3000)等测试手段对样品的形貌、结构、成分、光学和电学性能进行了分析。结果表明, 随着N₂流量的增加, 产物GaN的形貌发生了由微米棒到蠕虫状线再到光滑纳米线的转变;生成的GaN均为六方纤锌矿结构;样品均表现出383 nm的近带边紫外发射峰和470 nm左右的蓝光发射峰;所有样品均为n型;并对产物GaN的形貌转变机理进行了分析。     

Catalytic growth and characterization of gallium nitride nanowires.

The preparation of high-purity and -quality gallium nitride nanowires is accomplished by a catalytic growth using gallium and ammonium. A series of catalysts and different reaction parameters were applied to systematically optimize and control the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth of the nanowires. The resulting nanowires show predominantly wurtzite phase; they were up to several micrometers in length, typically with diameters of 10-50 nm. A minimum nanowire diameter of 6 nm has been achieved. Temperature dependence of photoluminescence spectra of the nanowires revealed that the emission mainly comes from wurtzite GaN with little contribution from the cubic phase. Moreover, the thermal quenching of photoluminescence was much reduced in the GaN nanowires. The Raman spectra showed five first-order phonon modes. The frequencies of these peaks were close to those of the bulk GaN, but the modes were significantly broadened, which is indicative of the phonon confinement effects associated with the nanoscale dimensions of the system. Additional Raman modes, not observed in the bulk GaN, were found in the nanowires. The field emission study showing notable emission current with low turn-on field suggests potential of the GaN nanowires in field emission applications. This work opens a wide route toward detailed studies of the fundamental properties and potential applications of semiconductor nanowires.     

New dimension in nano-imaging: breaking through the diffraction limit with scanning near-field optical microscopy

In recent years scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) has developed into a powerful surface analytical technique for observing specimens with lateral resolution equal to or even better than 100 nm. A large number of applications, from material science to biology, have been reported. In this paper, two different kinds of near-field optical microscopy, aperture and scattering-type SNOM, are reviewed together with recent studies in surface analysis and biology. Here, near-field optical techniques are discussed in comparison with related methods, such as scanning probe and standard optical microscopy, with respect to their specific advantages and fields of application.     

Electromagnetic coupling in near-field scattering by small homogeneous and heterogeneous nanoaggregates

Progress in near-field optical spectroscopy research on metal nanoparticles demands a better understanding of the role played by particle-particle interactions and a deeper insight of the influence of the incident field wavelength. This is particularly true for scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM), where the mechanism by which some components of the evanescent illuminating field are transformed into propagating field components that carry information about the sample is at the core of the image formation and where the role played by the interactions between sample and tip remains a still open problem. In this perspective, we investigate numerically the optical behavior of small aggregates of spherical nanoparticles, taking into account the electromagnetic coupling between all particles and the apertureless tip. The tip is modeled as a sphere made of different materials characterized by appropriate dielectric functions. We find that the tip material affects both qualitatively and quantitatively the SNOM images; more important, from the analysis of the calculated scattering cross section, the resonance plasmon location of the whole (aggregate + tip) system undergoes detectable changes, if the tip is constituted of the same material of the sample, as the tip is situated in different positions. This modification of the plasmon frequencies induces a nontrivial variation of the near-field intensity as a function of the tip position and the resulting SNOM image can be distorted with respect to the actual shape of the sample. No simple arguments can be used to relate the value of the local field on the tip surface to the scattering cross section value; depending on the tip material, the comparison between these two measurements can help to clarify the role of basic interactions in the scattering mechanism.