Nanotribology and Nanostructuring of Surfaces

Energetic crystal (2,4,6-Trinitrophenol, Picric acid) on gold substrate before nanotribilogy experiment

Our division focuses on development and application of analytical techniques for tribology, mechanical, electrical and optical properties on the sub-micron scale. The activities include investigation and analysis of the basics of a variety of mechanisms for failure and damage of composites, surfaces and interfaces of polymers, oxides and metals.

Key activities and competences

• Initiation of energetic materials on the nanoscale
• Imaging procedures for vibrating structures and systems on micro- and nanoscale (MEMS, NEMS) with sub-nanometre resolution
• Mechanical, quasi-static stiffness of thin polymer films, polymer adhesion on substrates, viscoplasticity
• Dynamic-mechanical methods to determine real and imaginary part of stiffness at nanocontacts
• Influence of nanoparticles, nanofibers and nanowires on mechanical, electric and optical properties in polymers including decomposition and stability
• Electrical conductivity of thin polymer films using DC and AC excitation, influence of doping and morphology
• Piezoelectric and electrostrictive effects of polymers and ceramics
• Investigations of fiber composites, nanocomposites, failure mechanisms, self healing mechanisms
• Influence of low energy electrons on biological molecules such as DNA and proteins, failure mechanisms, protection mechanisms, switching behaviour
• Wear protection schemes for plasmonic resonators and organic nanowires
• Simulation and calculation of frictional properties, nanocracks, electron-matter interaction and plasmon resonances
• Construction and configuration of nanodrives for high loads, velocities or traverse paths

Methods and equipment

• Scanning (Environmental) Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Ananlysis of X-rays, Electron Beam Lithography
• Hybrid of Scanning Force Microscopy or Scanning Nearfield Optical Microscopy with Electron Microscopy
• Scanning Force Microscopy in contact, intermittend contact and non-contact to measure mechanical, electric, magnetic, electrochemical and electromechanical properties of solids, surfaces, interdaces; Scanning Probe based Lithography, Scanning Tunneling Microscopy
• Confocal RAMAN-Microscopy
• Monte-Carlo-based calculations of electron-matter interaction, trajectories, energy distributions in transmission and reflection, electron induced X-ray fluorescence and chemoluminescence
• Calculation of interaction between periodic structures and electromagnetic fields based on Finite Difference Time Domain methods
• Calculation of friction, third body, cracks using movable cellular automatons
• Spin coating, thermal and electron beam evaporation, electro-spinning

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