Nanoscale Mechanical Manipulation of Ultrathin SiN Membranes Enabling Infrared Near-Field Microscopy of Liquid-Immersed samples.

ABSTRACT: Scattering scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) is a powerful technique for mid-infrared spectroscopy at nanometer length scales. By investigating objects in aqueous environments through ultrathin membranes, s-SNOM has recently been extended toward label-free nanoscopy of the dynamics of living cells and nanoparticles, assessing both the optical and the mechanical interactions between the tip, the membrane and the liquid suspension underneath. Here, the study reports that the tapping AFM tip induces a reversible nanometric deformation of the membrane manifested as either an indentation or protrusion. This mechanism depends on the driving force of the tapping cantilever, which is exploited to minimize topographical deformations of the membrane to improve optical measurements. Fur

SUBMITTER: Bau E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11579970 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature