AFM Probe-induced Dielectrophoresis For 3D Nano Manipulation And Assembly

With the rapid development of of research in nano areas, nano manufacture with nanomanipulation as the core is one of the most prospective and key areas in nanotechnology. Compared with the nanomanipulation based on self-assembly, optical tweezers, magnetic tweezers and SEM with the boundedness of low precise manipulation, low efficiency, or require costly systems and specific properties of samples, as a consequence, AFM with high resolution and manipulation precision, and DEP with high efficiency and wide application, have more extensive applications. AFM remains low manipulation efficiency,and cannot meet the demand of batch manipulation, the conventional DEP manipulation requires fixed physical electrodes, and lacks the ability of high precise, flexibility, and single manipulation in nano scale, These factors limite the further applications of AFM and DEP.Therefore, take the advantages of AFM and DEP for the complementarity, integrating the excellent positioning and high-accuracy manipulation ability of AFM and the effective manipulation ability of DEP is worth studying.In order to realize the study goal, we carry out the research on the theory and experiment around the AFM Probe-Induced Dielectrophoresis for 3D Nano manipulation and assembly in this paper. Concrete works mainly include the following aspects:(1) The design of experimental model and construction of experimental platform: Couple a conductive AFM probe with a ITO conductive glass as counter electrode, the conductive probe functions as a movable three dimensional DEP tweezers for probe induced DEP manipulation in the solution.(2) Theoretical simulation and analysis numerical of AFM probe induced DEP: Construct a model by the software COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3a for the theoretical analysis and numerical simulation of several experimental parameters.(3) The design and processing of the microfluidic chip: For good controllability and continuity of the experimentation, we design a microfluidic chip for stable and continuous manipulation of the probe induced DEP experimental platform, which can accurately maintain a continuous and stable liquid environment according to the principle of communicating vessels.(4) Study on the rapid automated relocation Method of Nano Target for AFM: In order to solve the relocation problem for the accurate characterization of experimental results, which was caused by the pollution of probe and movement of sample substrate, we study a rapid automated relocation nmethod for AFM, which can realize the label-free relocation of multiple nano targets successively by identifying a pair reference points.(5) Evaluation criteria for the experimental results: Take volume as the evaluation criteria for experimental results, we study a isometric transformation method for the volume calculation of irregular complex 3D nano structures.(6) Validation and optimizationof experimental parameters: After the experimental validation of the simulation results and the optimization analysis of the experimental parameters, manipulate nano spheres and form 3D nano dot matrixs and linear structures.After the design of experimental model and construction of experimental platform for 3D Nano manipulation and assembly by AFM Probe-Induced DEP, with the theoretical analysis and experimental validation, the method was fully proved that will have potential applications in the fast fabrication of nano structures and arrays, precise and controllable nondestructive manipulation of biological nano particles in the near future.