| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/S75789/01 |
| Title: |
Charge Writing on a Nanocrystalline Surface |
| Principal Investigator: |
Wilks, Professor S |
| Other Investigators: |
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| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
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| Project Partners: |
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| Department: |
College of Engineering |
| Organisation: |
Swansea University |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 December 2003 |
Ends: |
30 September 2004 |
Value (£): |
272,042
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| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
| Materials Characterisation |
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| Panel History: |
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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The drive towards nanotechnology has highlighted the need to engineer the properties of surfaces in unprecedented detail. Primarily this has arisen from their use as substrates to support nanoscale fabrication, where the inevitable interaction of the surface with adsorbates at the atomic level plays a crucial role. Therefore, the ability to selectively pattern surfaces either chemically, structurally or electronically on a nanometre scale is a vital step in establishing routes for controlled-assembly of systems. Ultimately this will enable methods to be developed for the reproducible processing of nanoscale devices. This is a central theme that this project seeks to explore using charge writing on a Sn02 nanocrystalline surface with a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) and an atomic force microscope (AFM). The ideas and concepts for this study were as a result of work carried out on an existing EPSRC funded project looking at nanocrystalline Sn02 gas sensors using scanning probe techniques. The preliminary results, shown in the main case for support, highlight the potential of the nanocrystalline material, when combined with STM and scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS), as an ideal surface for reproducible and controllable high resolution nanoscale charge writing, with superb charge retention properties. In the first attempt, a minimum charge point size or `pen size' of 15nm was achieved and it is postulated that this can be improved. Furthermore, the individual nanocrystals exhibited a Coulombic staircase in the STS curves as they were charged, indicative of electron transfer from the STM tip into confined states, the charge remained for many weeks. This system offers a robust platform to study the potential of novel application such as nanoscale analogue data storage, nanocatalysis and even molecular docking. The implications of this work will have a direct impact on some key issues within the general field of nanotechnology.
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Key Findings |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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Impacts |
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| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
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| Date Materialised |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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| Project URL: |
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| Further Information: |
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| Organisation Website: |
http://www.swan.ac.uk |