1. |
- Briley, Chad, et al.
(author)
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Effects of annealing and conformal alumina passivation on anisotropy and hysteresis of magneto-optical properties of cobalt slanted columnar thin films
- 2017
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In: Applied Surface Science. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 0169-4332 .- 1873-5584. ; 421, s. 320-324
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present magneto-optical dielectric tensor data of cobalt and cobalt oxide slanted columnar thin films obtained by vector magneto-optical generalized ellipsometry. Room-temperature hysteresis magnetization measurements were performed in longitudinal and polar Kerr geometries on samples prior to and after a heat treatment process with and without a conformal Al2O3 passivation coating. The samples have been characterized by generalized ellipsometry, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy in conjuncture with density functional theory. We observe strongly anisotropic hysteresis behaviors, which depend on the nanocolumn and magnetizing field orientations. We find that deposited cobalt films that have been exposed to heat treatment and subsequent atmospheric oxidation into Co3O4, when not conformally passivated, reveal no measurable magneto-optical properties while cobalt films with passivation coatings retain highly anisotropic magneto-optical properties (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.
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2. |
- Hofmann, Tino, et al.
(author)
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Screening effects in metal sculptured thin films studied with terahertz Mueller matrix ellipsometry
- 2017
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In: Applied Surface Science. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 0169-4332 .- 1873-5584. ; 421, s. 513-517
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The anisotropic optical dielectric functions of a metal (cobalt) slanted columnar thin film deposited by electronbeam glancing angle deposition are reported for the terahertz (THz) frequency domain before and after the slanted columnar thin film was passivated by a conformal alumina coating. A simple effective medium dielectric function homogenization approach which describes isolated, electrically conductive columns rendering the thin film biaxial (orthorhombic) is used to model the observed optical responses. Upon passivating the slanted columnar thin film with a 3 nm thick alumina film an increase of both the real and the imaginary part of the dielectric function for all major polarizability directions is found and attributed to screening effects within the spatially coherent metal nanocolumns. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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3. |
- Kananizadeh, Negin, et al.
(author)
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Deposition of titanium dioxide nanoparticles onto engineered rough surfaces with controlled heights and properties
- 2019
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In: Colloids and Surfaces A. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 0927-7757 .- 1873-4359. ; 571, s. 125-133
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding the influence of surface roughness on the deposition of nanoparticles is important to a variety of environmental and industrial processes. In this work, slanted columnar thin films (SCTFs) were engineered to serve as an analogue for rough surfaces with controlled height and surface properties. The deposition of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO(2)NPs) onto alumina-or silica-coated SCTFs (Al2O3-Si-SCTF, SiO2-Si-SCTF) with varying heights (50 nm, 100 nm, and 200 nm) was measured using a combined quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and generalized ellipsometry (GE) technique. No TiO2NP deposition was observed on flat, silica-coated QCM-D sensors or rough, 100 nm thick SiO2-Si-SCTF. TiO2NP deposition onto Al2O3-Si-SCTFs in ultra-pure water was significantly higher than on the flat alumina-coated QCM-D sensor, and deposition increased as the roughness height increased. The nanoparticle attachment was sensitive to the local flow field and the interaction energy between nanoparticles and the QCM-D sensor. At a higher ionic strength condition (100 mM NaCl), TiO2NP aggregates with varying sizes formed a rigid layer on top of SCTFs. For the first time, deposition of nanoparticles was measured as a function of roughness height, and the impact of roughness on the properties of the attached nanoparticle layers was revealed. This finding indicates that key parameters describing surface roughness should be explicitly included into models to accurately predict the transport of nanoparticles in the subsurface.
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4. |
- Kananizadeh, Negin, et al.
(author)
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Visualization of label-free titanium dioxide nanoparticle deposition on surfaces with nanoscale roughness
- 2019
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In: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-NANO. - : ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY. - 2051-8153 .- 2051-8161. ; 6:1, s. 248-260
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Understanding the transport of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) and their interaction with environmental surfaces is critical to predicting their fate and environmental implications. Here, we report an innovative technique to visualize and quantify the deposition of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NP) on engineered surfaces with nanoscale roughness, i.e., slanted columnar thin films (SCTFs). The attachment of TiO2NP on the surface of SCTFs changed the optical property of SCTFs, which was detected using a generalized ellipsometry (GE)-based instrument, an anisotropy contrast optical microscope (ACOM). An anisotropic effective medium model was applied to quantitatively analyze ACOM images of SCTF surfaces, which provided the mass distribution of TiO2NP. The TiO2NP mass measured by ACOM was in good agreement with the known amount of TiO2NP mass dispersed by controlled piezoelectric plotting. The detection of a few picograms of nanoparticle mass by an individual pixel measuring 7 x 7-micrometer squared was demonstrated. Further, a glass microfluidic channel with SCTF embedded was developed. The areal mass density of attached TiO2NP on SCTF surfaces as they flow through the channel under various flow rates was quantitatively measured in situ. At the end of the experiment, the distribution of the attached TiO2NP on the SCTF surface was visualized. The averaged mass density estimated by integrating the distribution map was in close agreement with the estimation from dynamic measurements and between repeating experiments. The capability of this novel technique to sense, quantify and visualize the mass distribution of TiO2NP provides a valuable approach to investigate the behavior of nanoparticles at the interface of flow and rough surfaces.
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5. |
- Kilic, Ufuk, et al.
(author)
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Critical-point model dielectric function analysis of WO3 thin films deposited by atomic layer deposition techniques
- 2018
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In: Journal of Applied Physics. - : AMER INST PHYSICS. - 0021-8979 .- 1089-7550. ; 124:11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- WO3 thin films were grown by atomic layer deposition and spectroscopic ellipsometry data gathered in the photon energy range of 0.72-8.5 eV, and from multiple samples were utilized to determine the frequency dependent complex-valued isotropic dielectric function for WO3. We employ a critical-point model dielectric function analysis and determine a parameterized set of oscillators and compare the observed critical-point contributions with the vertical transition energy distribution found within the band structure of WO3 calculated by the density functional theory. The surface roughness was investigated using atomic force microscopy, and compared with the effective roughness as seen by the spectroscopic ellipsometry. Published by AIP Publishing.
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6. |
- Kilic, Ufuk, et al.
(author)
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Tunable plasmonic resonances in Si-Au slanted columnar heterostructure thin films
- 2019
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In: Scientific Reports. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2045-2322. ; 9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We report on fabrication of spatially-coherent columnar plasmonic nanostructure superlattice-type thin films with high porosity and strong optical anisotropy using glancing angle deposition. Subsequent and repeated depositions of silicon and gold lead to nanometer-dimension subcolumns with controlled lengths. We perform generalized spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements and finite element method computations to elucidate the strongly anisotropic optical properties of the highly-porous Si-Au slanted columnar heterostructures. The occurrence of a strongly localized plasmonic mode with displacement pattern reminiscent of a dark quadrupole mode is observed in the vicinity of the gold subcolumns. We demonstrate tuning of this quadrupole-like mode frequency within the near-infrared spectral range by varying the geometry of Si-Au slanted columnar heterostructures. In addition, coupled-plasmon-like and inter-band transition-like modes occur in the visible and ultra-violet spectral regions, respectively. We elucidate an example for the potential use of Si-Au slanted columnar heterostructures as a highly porous plasmonic sensor with optical read out sensitivity to few parts-per-million solvent levels in water.
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7. |
- Mantz, Amy, et al.
(author)
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Free Polyethylenimine Enhances Substrate-Mediated Gene Delivery on Titanium Substrates Modified With RGD-Functionalized Poly(acrylic acid) Brushes
- 2019
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In: Frontiers in Chemistry. - : FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. - 2296-2646. ; 7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Substrate mediated gene delivery (SMD) is a method of immobilizing DNA complexes to a substrate via covalent attachment or nonspecific adsorption, which allows for increased transgene expression with less DNA compared to traditional bolus delivery. It may also increase cells receptivity to transfection via cell-material interactions. Substrate modifications with poly(acrylic) acid (PM) brushes may improve SMD by enhancing substrate interactions with DNA complexes via tailored surface chemistry and increasing cellular adhesion via moieties covalently bound to the brushes. Previously, we described a simple method to graft PM brushes to Ti and further demonstrated conjugation of cell adhesion peptides (i.e., RGD) to the PM brushes to improve biocompatibility. The objective of this work was to investigate the ability of Ti substrates modified with PM-RGD brushes (PM-RGD) to immobilize complexes composed of branched polyethyleneimine and DNA plasmids (bPEI-DNA) and support SMD in NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. Transfection in NIH/3T3 cells cultured on bPEI-DNA complexes immobilized onto PM-RGD substrates was measured and compared to transfection in cells cultured on control surfaces with immobilized complexes including Flat Ti, PM brushes modified with a control peptide (RGE), and unmodified PM. Transfection was two-fold higher in cells cultured on PM-RGD compared to those cultured on all control substrates. While DNA immobilization measured with radiolabeled DNA indicated that all substrates (PM-RGD, unmodified PM, Flat Ti) contained nearly equivalent amounts of loaded DNA, ellipsometric measurements showed that more total mass (i.e., DNA and bPEI, both complexed and free) was immobilized to PM and PM-RGD compared to Flat Ti. The increase in adsorbed mass may be attributed to free bPEI, which has been shown to improve transfection. Further transfection investigations showed that removing free bPEI from the immobilized complexes decreased SMD transfection and negated any differences in transfection success between cells cultured on PM-RGD and on control substrates, suggesting that free bPEI may be beneficial for SMD in cells cultured on bPEI-DNA complexes immobilized on PM-RGD grafted to Ti. This work demonstrates that substrate modification with PM-RGD is a feasible method to enhance SMD outcomes on Ti and may be used for future applications such as tissue engineering, gene therapy, and diagnostics.
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8. |
- Mock, Alyssa, et al.
(author)
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Anisotropy, band-to-band transitions, phonon modes, and oxidation properties of cobalt-oxide core-shell slanted columnar thin films
- 2016
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In: Applied Physics Letters. - : AMER INST PHYSICS. - 0003-6951 .- 1077-3118. ; 108:5, s. 051905-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Highly ordered and spatially coherent cobalt slanted columnar thin films (SCTFs) were deposited by glancing angle deposition onto silicon substrates, and subsequently oxidized by annealing at 475 degrees C. Scanning electron microscopy, Raman scattering, generalized ellipsometry, and density functional theory investigations reveal shape-invariant transformation of the slanted nanocolumns from metallic to transparent metal-oxide core-shell structures with properties characteristic of spinel cobalt oxide. We find passivation of Co-SCTFs yielding Co-Al2O3 core-shell structures produced by conformal deposition of a few nanometers of alumina using atomic layer deposition fully prevents cobalt oxidation in ambient and from annealing up to 475 degrees C. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.
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9. |
- Mock, Alyssa, et al.
(author)
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Multiple-layered effective medium approximation approach to modeling environmental effects on alumina passivated highly porous silicon nanostructured thin films measured by in-situ Mueller matrix ellipsometry
- 2017
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In: Applied Surface Science. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV. - 0169-4332 .- 1873-5584. ; 421, s. 663-666
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical changes in alumina passivated highly porous silicon slanted columnar thin films during controlled exposure to toluene vapor are reported. Electron-beam evaporation glancing angle deposition and subsequent atomic layer deposition are utilized to deposit alumina passivated nanostructured porous silicon thin films. In-situ Mueller matrix generalized spectroscopic ellipsometry in an environmental cell is then used to determine changes in optical properties of the nanostructured thin films by inspection of individual Mueller matrix elements, each of which exhibit sensitivity to adsorption. The use of a multiple-layered effective medium approximation model allows for accurate description of the inhomogeneous nature of toluene adsorption onto alumina passivated highly porous silicon slanted columnar thin films. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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10. |
- Peev, D., et al.
(author)
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Anisotropic contrast optical microscope
- 2016
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In: Review of Scientific Instruments. - : AMER INST PHYSICS. - 0034-6748 .- 1089-7623. ; 87:11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- An optical microscope is described that reveals contrast in the Mueller matrix images of a thin, transparent, or semi-transparent specimen located within an anisotropic object plane (anisotropic filter). The specimen changes the anisotropy of the filter and thereby produces contrast within the Mueller matrix images. Here we use an anisotropic filter composed of a semi-transparent, nanostructured thin film with sub-wavelength thickness placed within the object plane. The sample is illuminated as in common optical microscopy but the light is modulated in its polarization using combinations of linear polarizers and phase plate (compensator) to control and analyze the state of polarization. Direct generalized ellipsometry data analysis approaches permit extraction of fundamental Mueller matrix object plane images dispensing with the need of Fourier expansion methods. Generalized ellipsometry model approaches are used for quantitative image analyses. These images are obtained from sets of multiple images obtained under various polarizer, analyzer, and compensator settings. Up to 16 independent Mueller matrix images can be obtained, while our current setup is limited to 11 images normalized by the unpolarized intensity. We demonstrate the anisotropic contrast optical microscope by measuring lithographically defined micro-patterned anisotropic filters, and we quantify the adsorption of an organic self-assembled monolayer film onto the anisotropic filter. Comparison with an isotropic glass slide demonstrates the image enhancement obtained by our method over microscopy without the use of an anisotropic filter. In our current instrument, we estimate the limit of detection for organic volumetric mass within the object plane of approximate to 49 fg within approximate to 7 x 7 mu m(2) object surface area. Compared to a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation instrumentation, where contemporary limits require a total load of approximate to 500 pg for detection, the instrumentation demonstrated here improves sensitivity to a total mass required for detection by 4 orders of magnitude. We detail the design and operation principles of the anisotropic contrast optical microscope, and we present further applications to the detection of nanoparticles, to novel approaches for imaging chromatography and to new contrast modalities for observations on living cells. Published by AIP Publishing.
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