Project: Improvements in the scope and efficiency of AFM/NSOM single and multiprobe SPM techniques

The Project relates to developments in the field of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) measurements. SPM measurement techniques underpin and drive forward the important 21st Century field of nanotechnology. Nanoscience and nanotechnology depend wholly on the availability of experimental measurement techniques with the necessary nanometre resolution and nanometre probes used in the techniques that in their various forms are sensitive to one or more of the wide range of surface properties that are of interest. These properties include physical, chemical, electrical, mechanical, optical and spectroscopic properties._x000D_The two Parties in this consortium have highly complementary skills and experience in the laboratory use and the development of SPM instrumentation. The three directors of Faraday Scientific, the lead P, are all experimental physical scientists with high-level skills and experience in the development of commercial grade software for scientific instrumentation with application in many fields but especially SPM instrumentation. The other P, Nanonics Imaging, have been designing, manufacturing and marketing highly innovative SPM instrumentation since 1997. The company also has extensive experience in the development of SPM tips and probes that have multiple functions. Nanonics Imaging’s instruments have unique capability especially in the field of near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) in combination with the core SPM technique of atomic force microscopy (AFM) which makes it possible to image surface topography on the nanoscale. Nanonics AFM/NSOM instrumentation is particularly valuable in the fields of nanoscale photonics and plasmonics in which optical devices are reduced to nanoscale size and many new phenomena are being revealed._x000D__x000D_The two Ps have a long established and close working relationship in which Faraday supplies Nanonics with software for some of its advanced instrumentation._x000D__x000D_The goals of this Project are twofold: firstly, the Project aims to extend the scope of SPM measurements by enabling new and improved implementations of SPM techniques including a powerful new multiprobe AFM/NSOM system developed by Nanonics; secondly, the Project aims to significantly reduce the time it takes to perform nanoscale resolution scans of microscopic and larger scale samples. Such a reduction will have the important additional advantage of making more practical than at present a technique for obtaining the spectra of individual molecules. _x000D__x000D_The advances will be made against a background of completely re-implementing the instrumentation software used to control the instruments and to analyse and present the data that is obtained._x000D_

Acronym	Quartz AFM/NSOM (Reference Number: 7584)
Duration	01/08/2013 - 15/12/2015
Project Topic	As part of a major new instrument control, and data analysis and presentation software development a number of important enhancements to the scope and efficiency of AFM/NSOM SPM techniques important in the fields, for example, of photonics and plasmonics, will be implemented.
Network	Eurostars
Call	Eurostars Cut-Off 8

Project partner

Number	Name	Role	Country
2	Faraday Scientific Ltd	Coordinator	United Kingdom
2	Nanonics Imaging Ltd	Partner	Israel