unDrift: A versatile software for fast offline SPM image drift correction

• Tobias Dickbreder,
• Franziska Sabath,
• Lukas Höltkemeier,
• Ralf Bechstein and
• Angelika Kühnle

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1225–1237, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.101

• directions. Extraction of lattice vectors from images exhibiting periodic structures. (a, d) High-resolution AFM images showing atomic resolution at the calcite (10.4)–water interface. (b, e) Fourier transform images of the real-space images shown in (a) and (d). The maxima in the Fourier transforms are

Density functional theory study of Au-fcc/Ge and Au-hcp/Ge interfaces

• Olga Sikora,
• Małgorzata Sternik,
• Benedykt R. Jany,
• Franciszek Krok,
• Przemysław Piekarz and
• Andrzej M. Oleś

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1093–1105, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.90

• crystalline phases on a specific substrate [2][3]. The structure of a heterophase can be studied using advanced atomic-resolution experiments, such as high-resolution electron microscopy [4], high-resolution secondary-electron microscopy [5], scanning transmission electron microscopy [6][7] or scanning

Spatial mapping of photovoltage and light-induced displacement of on-chip coupled piezo/photodiodes by Kelvin probe force microscopy under modulated illumination

• Zeinab Eftekhari,
• Nasim Rezaei,
• Hidde Stokkel,
• Jian-Yao Zheng,
• Andrea Cerreta,
• Ilka Hermes,
• Minh Nguyen,
• Guus Rijnders and
• Rebecca Saive

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1059–1067, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.87

• mechanical oscillation of the piezoelectric membrane with vertical atomic resolution in real-time. This technique offers the opportunity to measure concurrently the optoelectronic and mechanical response of the device at the nanoscale. Furthermore, time-dependent atomic force microscopy (AFM) was employed to

A cantilever-based, ultrahigh-vacuum, low-temperature scanning probe instrument for multidimensional scanning force microscopy

• Hao Liu,
• Zuned Ahmed,
• Sasa Vranjkovic,
• Manfred Parschau,
• Andrada-Oana Mandru and
• Hans J. Hug

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1120–1140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.95

• properties using multifrequency and multimodal AFM operation modes. Research of new quantum materials and devices, however, often requires low temperatures and ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions and, more specifically, AFM instrumentation providing atomic resolution. For this, AFM instrumentation based on a

• , but also perform rapid overview scans with the tip kept at larger tip–sample distances for robust imaging. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; atomic resolution; instrumentation design; multimodal operation; ultrahigh vacuum; Introduction Atomic force microscopy (AFM) operated under vacuum or

• ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions is beneficial for increasing measurement sensitivity, measuring samples at low temperatures [1], analyzing reactive surfaces [2], and studying atomic or molecular adsorbents with atomic or submolecular resolution [3]. The first AFM images with true atomic resolution were

Comparing the performance of single and multifrequency Kelvin probe force microscopy techniques in air and water

• Jason I. Kilpatrick,
• Emrullah Kargin and
• Brian J. Rodriguez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 922–943, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.82

• fields [10]. Het-KPFM is generally operated in CL configurations [57][58] but could also be operated OL [58][85][86], either through bias sweeping techniques or through the simultaneous measurement of ωm ± ωe and ωm ± 2ωe similar to DH-KPFM. Het-KPFM has been demonstrated to achieve atomic resolution of

Investigation of electron-induced cross-linking of self-assembled monolayers by scanning tunneling microscopy

• Patrick Stohmann,
• Sascha Koch,
• Yang Yang,
• Christopher David Kaiser,
• Julian Ehrens,
• Jürgen Schnack,
• Niklas Biere,
• Dario Anselmetti,
• Armin Gölzhäuser and
• Xianghui Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 462–471, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.39

• V and +0.4 to +1.2 V. A z-resolution higher than 0.01 nm could be achieved. The STM tips were prepared from 0.375 mm polycrystalline tungsten wire (Alfa Aesar) by electrochemical etching in a 3 M NaOH solution. The instrument was calibrated by imaging HOPG with atomic resolution. The data was post

Topographic signatures and manipulations of Fe atoms, CO molecules and NaCl islands on superconducting Pb(111)

• Carl Drechsel,
• Philipp D’Astolfo,
• Jung-Ching Liu,
• Thilo Glatzel,
• Rémy Pawlak and
• Ernst Meyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1–9, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.1

• ), several circular protrusions of different sizes and heights are observed by STM (Figure 4a). Their lateral sizes range from 0.3 to 1.5 Å, whereas their heights exhibit values of 0.4, 1.2 and 1.7 Å. Although no atomic resolution of these aggregates has been obtained, we interpret the variation of heights

Measurement of polarization effects in dual-phase ceria-based oxygen permeation membranes using Kelvin probe force microscopy

• Kerstin Neuhaus,
• Christina Schmidt,
• Liudmila Fischer,
• Wilhelm Albert Meulenberg,
• Ke Ran,
• Joachim Mayer and
• Stefan Baumann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1380–1391, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.102

• , Figure 2b displays the EDX chemical mapping results with atomic resolution, indicating no chemical disorders except the slight enrichment of Sm at the edge of the CSO grain. Tilting FC2O along its [101] direction, Figure 2c shows another CSO-FC2O interface, where rock salt structures within several

Two dynamic modes to streamline challenging atomic force microscopy measurements

• Alexei G. Temiryazev,
• Andrey V. Krayev and
• Marina P. Temiryazeva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1226–1236, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.90

• high-vacuum conditions, the AFM allows for obtaining atomic resolution [33]. Such measurements are usually carried out in the frequency modulation mode, which means that the driving frequency is automatically kept equal to the current resonant frequency of the probe, and the shift of the resonant

Reducing molecular simulation time for AFM images based on super-resolution methods

• Zhipeng Dou,
• Jianqiang Qian,
• Yingzi Li,
• Rui Lin,
• Jianhai Wang,
• Peng Cheng and
• Zeyu Xu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 775–785, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.61

• are key tools for nanoscale imaging and characterization with unparalleled resolution [1]. The first atomic-resolution image by AFM of the (001) surface of NaCl was reported in ultrahigh vacuum [2]. Later, in noncontact mode, the reconstructed silicon (111)-(7×7) surface was imaged with 6 Å lateral

Determining amplitude and tilt of a lateral force microscopy sensor

• Oliver Gretz,
• Alfred J. Weymouth,
• Thomas Holzmann,
• Korbinian Pürckhauer and
• Franz J. Giessibl

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 517–524, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.42

• ]. This has been used to achieve atomic resolution of a sample that is laterally stiff and vertically soft [5]. It has also been used under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions [6] as well as in liquid to yield atomic resolution [7]. Also in 2002, Giessibl and co-workers performed LFM using a qPlus sensor as shown

Reconstruction of a 2D layer of KBr on Ir(111) and electromechanical alteration by graphene

• Zhao Liu,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Stefan Peeters,
• Sebastian Scherb,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Maria Clelia Righi and
• Thilo Glatzel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 432–439, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.35

• KBr edge regions (A1 = 2 nm, Δf1 = −25 Hz, γ = −21.6 pN·nm1/2). (a) Atomic resolution of a corrugated KBr line structure (A2 = 300 pm, Δf2 = −125 Hz, γ = −1.02 pN·nm1/2). (b) Atomic line profiles of two orthogonal lattice directions in red (with a single-atom duplication along “AAA”) and in blue (with

TiO_x/Pt₃Ti(111) surface-directed formation of electronically responsive supramolecular assemblies of tungsten oxide clusters

• Marco Moors,
• Yun An,
• Agnieszka Kuc and
• Kirill Yu. Monakhov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 203–212, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.16

• of the z’-TiOx phase grown on Pt3Ti(111): (a) An overview image (50 × 50 nm; UB = 1.57 V; IT = 160 pA) of the clean oxide phase. In the upper left area, oxide-free patches of the metallic substrate can still be found. (b) An atomic resolution scan (9.4 × 9.4 nm; UB = 1.22 V; IT = 160 pA) of the z

Numerical analysis of vibration modes of a qPlus sensor with a long tip

• Kebei Chen,
• Zhenghui Liu,
• Yuchen Xie,
• Chunyu Zhang,
• Gengzhao Xu,
• Wentao Song and
• Ke Xu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 82–92, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.7

• tuning fork and the wiring in the liquid, a longer tip is required. By keeping the nodes of the tip in the higher-order modes close to the liquid surface, the frequency drift of the sensor can be effectively limited, maintaining a high Q factor [16][17]. By using a qPlus sensor with a long tip, atomic

• resolution and near-field optical images were obtained in liquid environments [15][18][19]. For some applications, it is required that the tip is not perpendicular to the prong of the tuning fork [20][21]. The advantage of a qPlus sensor with a long tilted tip (Figure 1) is that forces in multiple directions

Bulk chemical composition contrast from attractive forces in AFM force spectroscopy

• Dorothee Silbernagl,
• Media Ghasem Zadeh Khorasani,
• Natalia Cano Murillo,
• Anna Maria Elert and
• Heinz Sturm

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 58–71, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.5

• achieved a lateral atomic resolution, but also enabled the identification of chemical structures down to single atoms. For these remarkable results, the sample has to be very smooth (ideally a crystal plane) and preferably free of an ambient water film (ultra-high vacuum AFM, UHV AFM). Again, these

Direct observation of the Si(110)-(16×2) surface reconstruction by atomic force microscopy

• Tatsuya Yamamoto,
• Ryo Izumi,
• Kazushi Miki,
• Takahiro Yamasaki,
• Yasuhiro Sugawara and
• Yan Jun Li

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1750–1756, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.157

• height of U-S5 was lower than that of U-S4. In addition, L-S0 was observed on the lower terrace. In Figure 2c,g, L-S4, which is located behind L-P3 and U-S1, was observed on the lower terrace. When scanning, it was sometimes difficult to image a clean 16×2 reconstruction with atomic resolution. Figure 3a

• . Among the atoms at the step edge, the U-S4, U-S5 and L-S4 atoms were not reported in previous STM studies. This work provides new evidence and a call for the further investigation of the surface reconstruction with atomic resolution on the Si(110) surface by AFM and opens up novel routes for studying

• and directions, respectively (f0 = 162.5 kHz, A = 5 nm, Vs = 0 mV, T = 78 K, Δf = 18 Hz). (a) Atomic-resolution AFM image (8 × 8 nm2) of the 16×2 reconstruction area shown in Figure 1 (f0 = 162.5 kHz, A = 5 nm, Vs = 0 mV, T = 78 K, Δf = 18 Hz). (b), (c) AFM images of the 16×2 reconstruction, with a

An atomic force microscope integrated with a helium ion microscope for correlative nanoscale characterization

• Santiago H. Andany,
• Gregor Hlawacek,
• Stefan Hummel,
• Charlène Brillard,
• Mustafa Kangül and
• Georg E. Fantner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1272–1279, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.111

• gallium-ion FIBs. The resulting combined AFM–HIM instrument would, therefore, profit from the sub-nanometer lateral resolution of the HIM and the atomic resolution in the vertical axis of the AFM, proving particularly powerful for high-resolution correlative characterization of non-conductive samples

Hexagonal boron nitride: a review of the emerging material platform for single-photon sources and the spin–photon interface

• Stefania Castelletto,
• Faraz A. Inam,
• Shin-ichiro Sato and
• Alberto Boretti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 740–769, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.61

• volume sampling, while isolation of single defects or their ab-initio modeling can be a better guide. This holds even if the assignment to specific defects may be challenging without being able to address their ensemble generation. For these materials, atomic resolution methods could be used, such as

Quantitative determination of the interaction potential between two surfaces using frequency-modulated atomic force microscopy

• Nicholas Chan,
• Carrie Lin,
• Tevis Jacobs,
• Robert W. Carpick and
• Philip Egberts

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 729–739, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.60

• tip material and can provide atomic-level resolution, but only images the tip in a profile view. For the present investigation, TEM was chosen because of the ease of sample preparation and the ability to image not only the tip apex with atomic resolution, but also the shape of the tip shank that

• microscopy FM-AFM is a mode of AFM that allows for the probing of tip–sample interaction forces with the possibility of atomic resolution [41]. In this method, the probe is oscillated at its fundamental flexural resonance frequency (i.e., normal to the sample) and at a constant amplitude, while it is scanned

Atomic-resolution imaging of rutile TiO₂(110)-(1 × 2) reconstructed surface by non-contact atomic force microscopy

• Daiki Katsube,
• Shoki Ojima,
• Eiichi Inami and
• Masayuki Abe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 443–449, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.35

• using LEED and STM has revealed that the (1 × 2) LEED pattern was observed even if the (1 × 2) structure is formed only partially as shown in Figure 1c [20]. This indicates that real-space imaging with atomic resolution, i.e., STM and NC-AFM, would be helpful for a careful determination of the surface

• Ti2O3 in the [001] and directions were evaluated to be ca. 0.3 nm and ca. 1.3 nm, respectively. These distances correspond to the lattice constant of the (1 × 2) structure. These results confirm that Ti2O3 rows were observed with atomic resolution. The height profile in Figure 4c shows that Ti2O3 twin

Antimony deposition onto Au(111) and insertion of Mg

• Lingxing Zan,
• Da Xing,
• Abdelaziz Ali Abd-El-Latif and
• Helmut Baltruschat

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2541–2552, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.245

•  4f, suggesting that the deposited Sb species cannot be dissolved completely and a Au–Sb alloy was formed. This confirms the result obtained in the electrochemical measurement. The atomic resolution of the Sb adlayer structure on the Au(111) surface was obtained at the potential of −0.74 V and is

Mobility of charge carriers in self-assembled monolayers

• Zhihua Fu,
• Tatjana Ladnorg,
• Hartmut Gliemann,
• Alexander Welle,
• Asif Bashir,
• Michael Rohwerder,
• Qiang Zhang,
• Björn Schüpbach,
• Andreas Terfort and
• Christof Wöll

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2449–2458, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.235

• methods and instrumentation All STM measurements were carried out under ambient conditions, using either a Joel JSPM 4210 microscope or an Agilent STM setup, which had been cross-calibrated by imaging HOPG with atomic resolution. The tips were prepared mechanically by cutting a 0.25 mm Pt0.8Ir0.2 wire

Atomic force acoustic microscopy reveals the influence of substrate stiffness and topography on cell behavior

• Yan Liu,
• Li Li,
• Xing Chen,
• Ying Wang,
• Meng-Nan Liu,
• Jin Yan,
• Liang Cao,
• Lu Wang and
• Zuo-Bin Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2329–2337, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.223

• , but the spatial resolution is poor [18]. SEM is capable of detecting the surface features of substrates and cells on the nanoscale, but the sample preparation is time-consuming and complex [19]. AFM is emerging as a valuable tool for true atomic resolution imaging [20] and is widely used in

Stationary beam full-field transmission helium ion microscopy using sub-50 keV He⁺: Projected images and intensity patterns

• Michael Mousley,
• Santhana Eswara,
• Olivier De Castro,
• Olivier Bouton,
• Nico Klingner,
• Christoph T. Koch,
• Gregor Hlawacek and
• Tom Wirtz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1648–1657, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.160

• + ions in crystals to explore the possibilities to obtain atomic-resolution images in a HIM [23]. Hence, experimental investigation of the intensity distribution of transmitted He+ ions can provide valuable insights related to ion–solid interaction such as channeling, blocking and diffraction [23][24][25

Molecular attachment to a microscope tip: inelastic tunneling, Kondo screening, and thermopower

• Rouzhaji Tuerhong,
• Mauro Boero and
• Jean-Pierre Bucher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1243–1250, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.124

• to study, with atomic resolution, the coupling of the tunneling electrons to other elementary excitations such as vibrations, plasmons and spins [5][6][7][8]. Furthermore, a molecular junction in STM can serve as a reliable and controllable model system for the study of a single molecule in a way

• . The width of this stripe corresponds to the size of a single MnPc molecule and originates from the image formation with a molecule-terminated tip one end of which is dragged on the surface during the horizontal line scans as shown by the arrows in Figure 2d. As a result, the atomic resolution of the