Issue 1, 2018

Subnanometer structure and function from ion beams through complex fluidics to fluorescent particles

Abstract

The vertical dimensions of complex nanostructures determine the functions of diverse nanotechnologies. In this paper, we investigate the unknown limits of such structure–function relationships at subnanometer scales. We begin with a quantitative evaluation of measurement uncertainty from atomic force microscopy, which propagates through our investigation from ion beam fabrication to fluorescent particle characterization. We use a focused beam of gallium ions to subtractively pattern silicon surfaces, and silicon nitride and silicon dioxide films. Our study of material responses quantifies the atomic limits of forming complex topographies with subnanometer resolution of vertical features over a wide range of vertical and lateral dimensions. Our results demonstrate the underutilized capability of this standard system for rapid prototyping of subnanometer structures in hard materials. We directly apply this unprecedented dimensional control to fabricate nanofluidic devices for the analytical separation of colloidal nanoparticles by size exclusion. Optical microscopy of single nanoparticles within such reference materials establishes a subnanometer limit of the fluidic manipulation of particulate matter and enables critical-dimension particle tracking with subnanometer accuracy. After calibrating for optical interference within our multifunctional devices, which also enables device metrology and integrated spectroscopy, we reveal an unexpected relationship between nanoparticle size and emission intensity for common fluorescent probes. Emission intensity increases supervolumetrically with nanoparticle diameter and then decreases as nanoparticles with different diameters photobleach to similar values of terminal intensity. We propose a simple model to empirically interpret these surprising results. Our investigation enables new control and study of structure–function relationships at subnanometer scales.

Graphical abstract: Subnanometer structure and function from ion beams through complex fluidics to fluorescent particles

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
27 Sep 2017
Accepted
17 Nov 2017
First published
29 Nov 2017

Lab Chip, 2018,18, 139-152

Subnanometer structure and function from ion beams through complex fluidics to fluorescent particles

K. Liao, J. Schumacher, H. J. Lezec and S. M. Stavis, Lab Chip, 2018, 18, 139 DOI: 10.1039/C7LC01047H

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements