Concepts,instruments, and model systems that enabled the rapid evolution of surface science

Over the past forty years, surface science has evolved to become both an atomic scale and a molecular scale science. Gerhard Ertl’s group has made major contributions in the field of molecular scale surface science, focusing on vacuum studies of adsorption chemistry on single crystal surfaces. In this review, we outline three important aspects which have led to recent advances in surface chemistry: the development of new concepts, in situ instruments for molecular scale surface studies at buried interfaces (solid–gas and solid–liquid), and new model nanoparticle surface systems, in addition to single crystals. Combined molecular beam surface scattering and low energy electron diffraction (LEED)- surface structure studies on metal single crystal surfaces revealed concepts, including adsorbate-induced surface restructuring and the unique activity of defects, atomic steps, and kinks on metal surfaces. We have combined high pressure catalytic reaction studies with ultra high vacuum (UHV) surface characterization techniques using a UHV chamber equipped with a high pressure reaction cell. New instruments, such as high pressure sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) which permit molecular-level surface studies have been developed. Tools that access broad ranges of pressures can be used for both the in situ characterization of solid–gas and solid–liquid buried interfaces and the study of catalytic reaction intermediates. The model systems for the study of molecular surface chemistry have evolved from single crystals to nanoparticles in the 1–10 nm size range, which are currently the preferred media in catalytic reaction studies.     

Atomic force microscopy studies of chemical–mechanical processes on silicon(100) surfaces

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to examine chemical–mechanical processes on Si(100) surfaces. The AFM tip serves as a single asperity contact to exert tribological forces as well as an imaging tool. By scanning in chemically aggressive solutions, material removal can be observed directly. In the silicon system, high-force scans are used to remove oxide and initiate etching in selected locations, followed by low-force scans to image the resulting surfaces. Material removal rates were measured as a function of applied load, number of scans, solution composition, and time. In basic solution, places where the underlying silicon is exposed etch rapidly, producing structures 100 nm or less in size. Although the surface roughness initially increases during etching, the final surfaces are smooth. The oxide is extremely sensitive to applied stress: even very light scanning accelerates oxide dissolution. Once the oxide is removed, chemical etching proceeds through the underlying silicon with or without AFM scanning; but the silicon etches more rapidly if AFM scanning is continued, due to true chemical–mechanical (tribochemical) effects.     

Morphology studies of the metal surfaces with enhanced absorption fabricated using interferometric femtosecond ablation

Recently, the enhancing of bulk metals optical absorption with focused femtosecond pulses was demonstrated. This absorption enhancement is caused by different nano- and micro-structures which are formed during laser ablation with ultrashort pulses. In this paper we study the evolution of the surface structures using interferometric ablation and compare it to normal fs-ablation. Previously we have shown that interferometric femtosecond ablation is an efficient method to fabricate absorbing metal surfaces. In this study we ablated large areas of hole-array structures with different pulse numbers in polished stainless steel and copper samples. The evolution of surface morphology and the depth of the holes for these structured surfaces are presented. In addition, the reflectance of laser generated surface structures are measured at the wavelength range of 200–2300 nm using a standard spectrophotometer.     

Subwavelength structured surfaces with a broadband antireflection function analyzed by using a finite difference time domain method

Subwavelength structured surfaces with a broadband antireflection function are analyzed by using a finite difference time domain method. The 2D periodic pure conical and pyramidal structures and several composite structured surfaces composing of conical and pyramidal structures are presented and discussed. It is found that the antireflection function will decrease for the same size of structures when the structure arrangement is discontinuous and the results of the structures with an aspect ratio of 2.0 are obviously better than the 1.0. It is also found that some composite structured surfaces have powerful antireflection function in the spectral ranges of 400-1400 nm within the 800-1200 nm spectral ranges.     

Surface structures on crystalline silicon irradiated by 10 ps laser pulses at 694.3 nm

The grating-like spatially periodic structures are produced on the (100) surfaces of the single crystal silicon by the trains of 10 ps mode-locked ruby laser pulses at the wavelength of 694.3 nm. The periods and orientations of the structures are consistent with the model which involves the interference of the incident light with the surface electromagnetic wave excited through the coupling by surface roughness. Previously unappreciated elliptic ripple patterns are found and explained as the trails of the capillary wave excited on the molten Si surface due to the radially non-uniform deposition of energy.     

Structural and energetic properties of sodium clusters

In this work we present results from a theoretical study on the properties of sodium clusters. The structures of the global total-energy minima have been determined using two different methods. With the parameterized density-functional tight-binding method (DFTB) combined with a genetic-algorithm we investigated the properties of Na_N clusters with cluster size up to 20 atoms, and with our own Aufbau/Abbau algorithm together with the embedded-atom method (EAM) up to 60 atoms. The two sets of results from the independent calculations are compared and a stability function is studied as function of the cluster size. Due to the electronic effects included in the DFTB method and the packing effects included in the EAM we have obtained different global-minima structures and different stability functions.     

Boundary condition histograms for modulated phases

Boundary conditions strongly affect the results of numerical computations for finite size inhomogeneous or incommensurate structures. We present a method which allows to deal with this problem, both for ground state and for critical properties: it combines fluctuating boundary conditions and specific histogram techniques. Our approach concerns classical systems possessing a continuous symmetry as well as quantum systems. In particular, current-current correlation functions, which probe large scale coherence of the states, can be accurately evaluated. We illustrate our method on a frustrated two dimensional XY model. Received: 9 September 1997 / Revised: 17 October 1997 / Accepted: 3 November 1997     

Weakly bound buffer layer as a template for metallic nano-clusters growth and film laser-patterning

Growth of metallic nano-clusters and control over their size are critically important for catalysis. Development of film patterning procedures at the nanometer scale has significant impact on future lithography. In this work, we present an approach to grow metallic nano-clusters and control their size using a weakly bound buffer layer as an intermediate substance and a template to control the clusters size at the range 1-15 nm.The buffer layer was further employed to create a pattern based on a selective laser ablation procedure. A thicker metallic film deposited on top of pre-patterned buffer layer has been demonstrated as a novel patterning technique at the sub-micron to nanometer scale employing a single laser pulse. The thermal stability of metallic structures prepared this way has been studied at temperature up to 1000 K.     

A step towards nanoionics

The interaction of finely focused 20–100 keV electron beam at 10–1000 A/cm² current densities with 30–150 nm films of the RbAg₄I₅-family solid electrolytes has been studied. The results obtained show that it is possible to form arrays of electrochemical devices with single elements ≈ 10 nm in size in the films. Arrays of 100×100 nm structures consisting of a solid electrolyte film on C-, Au-and Ag-thin supports are demonstrated.     

Nanostructures fabricated on metal surfaces assisted by laser with optical near-field effects

Nanostructures on metal film surfaces have been written directly using a pulsed ultraviolet laser. The optical near-field effects of the laser were investigated. Spherical silica particles (500–1000 nm in diameter) were placed on metal films. After laser illumination with a single laser shot, nanoholes were obtained at the original position of the particles. The mechanism for the formation of the nanostructure patterns was investigated and found to be the near-field optical resonance effect induced by the particles on the surface. The size of the nanohole was studied as a function of laser fluence and silica particle size. The experimental results show a good agreement with those of the relevant theoretical calculations of the near-field light intensity distribution. The method of particle-enhanced laser irradiation allows the study of field enhancement effects as well as its potentialapplications for nanolithography. Received: 10 December 2002 / Accepted: 20 January 2003 / Published online: 28 May 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +65-777/1349, E-mail: HUANG_Sumei@dsi.a-star.edu.sg     

Fabrication of periodically poled lithium tantalate for UV generation with diode lasers

Fabrication of periodically poled lithium tantalate (PPLT) with periods as short as 1.3 μm for second harmonic generation (SHG) in the UV range and for optical parametric oscillators pumped at 532 nm is reported. Both the maximum crystal size of up to 40 mm and the minimum poling period of 1.3 μm are improvements on earlier results, achieved by optimizing the poling conditions and by using a novel electrode design consisting of electrode structures on both surfaces of the crystal. Single-pass SHG of a master oscillator power amplifier (MOPA) diode laser with an output power of 1.36 mW at 336 nm using a 16-mm-long PPLT crystal with a 1.5 μm poling period is reported. Received: 11 June 2001 / Published online: 18 July 2001     

Large Molecules as Models for Small Particles in Aqueous Geochemistry Research

Many questions that geochemists now pose about mineral surfaces concern the properties of individual molecular functional groups. These questions can be answered directly with large aqueous molecules where the positions of atoms can be determined with accuracy and related to the reactive properties. It is time to abandon this approach with colloidal solid suspensions and employ aqueous molecular clusters. The reactive properties of individual oxygens can be determined separately using these aqueous clusters in spectroscopic studies. These molecules are sufficiently large (1–5 nm) that they overlap in size with the smallest colloids, yet the bond lengths and atom positions can be determined unequivocally from X-ray structural studies. In this paper we present research on a 2-nm cluster that provides a particular useful example. These molecules, unlike surface structures that are inferred from bulk structures, allow direct comparison of experimental data with molecular simulations.     

Structuring of Surfaces with Gold Nanoparticles by Using Bessel‐Like Beams

Here, the structuring of surfaces with gold nanoparticles by using Bessel‐like beam array is demonstrated. The experimental results show that the fabricated microring structures containing gold nanoparticles have a surface plasmon resonance in the spectral range of 520–540 nm, which can be tuned by selecting the laser treatment parameters. Fabricated microring structures exhibit a lower light transmittance comparing with the randomly distributed gold nanoparticles for wavelengths 500–570 nm due to the growth in the size of nanoparticles. In the spectral range of 600–700 nm, the light transmittance through microring structures is higher compared with the randomly distributed gold nanoparticles because of the removal of gold nanoparticles as gold has high reflectivity for wavelengths longer than 600 nm. The demonstrated method enables an easy fabrication of microring structures having tunable plasmonic properties.     

原子尺度金属纳米线的结构和性质

当物质尺度减少到几层原子时,形成超细的纳米结、纳米线、或者纳米团簇,原有凝聚态物质的结构和物理性质将不再保持,而呈现出许多令人惊奇的奇异特性。本文重点讨论直径大约3 nm以下,具有足够长度的、原子结构往往不同于体材料的准一维金属纳米结构,我们称之为原子尺度金属纳米线或超细金属纳米线(也称为金属原子线)。近年来实验上已经制备和表征出在超高真空中悬挂在两个顶针尖端的Au、Pt、Cu等金属纳米线和纳米管,金属线直径达到1 nm以下而长度为6 nm以上。通过高分辩电子显微镜观察,它们是同轴圆管(或壳)组成的、类似纳米碳管的单壳或多壳结构,管由绕着线轴的螺旋原子绳构成。理论工作围绕这种新奇结构形态的形成机制、奇异的物理性质和可能的应用前景而同时展开。这是一个崭新的纳米世界,无论是对基础的低维物理还是未来分子电子设备的应用,都将产生深远的影响,有许多奇妙的现象正等待人们去发现。本文将对最近几年原子尺度金属纳米线研究工作的主要进展和发展趋势作一个概述,并重点介绍本组有关的具有螺旋结构的纳米线的各类新奇结构和物理性质。     

原子尺度金属纳米线的结构和性质

当物质尺度减少到几层原子时，形成超细的纳米结、纳米线、或者纳米团簇，原有凝聚态物质的结构和物理性质将不再保持，而呈现出许多令人惊奇的奇异特性。本文重点讨论直径大约3nm以下，具有足够长度的、原子结构往往不同于体材料的准一维金属纳米结构，我们称之为原子尺度金属纳米线或超细金属纳米线（也称为金属原子线）。近年来实验上已经制备和表征出在超高真空中悬挂在两个顶针尖端的Au、Pt、Cu等金属纳米线和纳米管，金属线直径达到1nm以下而长度为6nm以上。通过高分辩电子显微镜观察，它们是同轴圆管（或壳）组成的、类似纳米碳管的单壳或多壳结构，管由绕着线轴的螺旋原子绳构成。理论工作围绕这种新奇结构形态的形成机制、奇异的物理性质和可能的应用前景而同时展开。这是一个崭新的纳米世界，无论是对基础的低维物理还是未来分子电子设备的应用，都将产生深远的影响，有许多奇妙的现象正等待人们去发现。本文将对最近几年原子尺度金属纳米线研究工作的主要进展和发展趋势作一个概述，并重点介绍本组有关的具有螺旋结构的纳米线的各类新奇结构和物理性质。     

Evaluation of nanoscale roughness measurements on a plasma treated SU-8 polymer surface by atomic force microscopy

A comparison between roughness data obtained with an atomic force microscope (AFM) on different surfaces requires reliable roughness parameters. In order to specify the appropriate parameters for nanoscale roughness measurements, we compared the root mean square (rms) roughness and the relative surface area (sdr) as function of varying scan size, speed and pixel size. By using oxygen plasma (24 kJ) treated SU-8 with an average rms roughness of 2.6 ± 0.5 nm as reference surface, the repeatability of the method was evaluated for dynamic (tapping) and contact mode. The evaluation of AFM images indicated a decrease of the effective tip radius after a few measurements. This degradation of the tip lowers the resolution of the image and can affect roughness measurements.     

The origins of fast segmental dynamics in 2 nm thin confined polymer films

Molecular-Dynamics computer simulations were used to study 2 nm wide polystyrene films confined in slit pores, defined by inorganic crystalline surfaces. The simulated systems mimic experimentally studied hybrid materials, where polystyrene is intercalated between mica-type, atomically smooth, crystalline layers. A comparison between the experimental findings and the simulation results aims at revealing the molecular origins of the macroscopically observed behavior, and thus provide insight about polymers in severe/nanoscopic confinements, as well as polymers in the immediate vicinity of solid surfaces. Pronounced dynamic inhomogeneities are found across the 2 nm thin film, with fast relaxing moieties located in low local density regions throughout the film. The origins of this behavior are traced to the confinement-induced density inhomogeneities, which are stabilized over extended time scales by the solid surfaces. Received 9 August 2001 and Received in final form 7 January 2002     

Nanoporous carbon spheres and their application in dispersing silver nanoparticles

Monodisperse nanoporous carbon spheres (NCS) were synthesized in large quantities via a facile hydrothermal synthesis. It is found that the NCS have rough surfaces with a large quantity of uniformly distributed protruding and concaving zones. Large quantities of nanopores of about 0.3 nm in diameter are distributed uniformly on the whole sphere surfaces. The effects of reaction parameters on the surface roughness, sphere diameter and pore size of NCS were investigated. Taking the NCS as substrates, silver nanoparticles (NPs) were deposited onto their surfaces using a one-step ultrasonic electrodeposition procedure. The deposited silver NP has a uniform distribution, a high particle density and a narrow size range of 12-16 nm in diameter. This study demonstrates an efficient approach to fabricate noble-metal/carbon nanocomposites.     

Elastic wave field computation in multilayered nonplanar solid structures: a mesh-free semianalytical approach

Multilayered solid structures made of isotropic, transversely isotropic, or general anisotropic materials are frequently used in aerospace, mechanical, and civil structures. Ultrasonic fields developed in such structures by finite size transducers simulating actual experiments in laboratories or in the field have not been rigorously studied. Several attempts to compute the ultrasonic field inside solid media have been made based on approximate paraxial methods like the classical ray tracing and multi-Gaussian beam models. These approximate methods have several limitations. A new semianalytical method is adopted in this article to model elastic wave field in multilayered solid structures with planar or nonplanar interfaces generated by finite size transducers. A general formulation good for both isotropic and anisotropic solids is presented in this article. A variety of conditions have been incorporated in the formulation including irregularities at the interfaces. The method presented here requires frequency domain displacement and stress Green's functions. Due to the presence of different materials in the problem geometry various elastodynamic Green's functions for different materials are used in the formulation. Expressions of displacement and stress Green's functions for isotropic and anisotropic solids as well as for the fluid media are presented. Computed results are verified by checking the stress and displacement continuity conditions across the interface of two different solids of a bimetal plate and investigating if the results for a corrugated plate with very small corrugation match with the flat plate results.