Nanomachining with a mechanical manipulation system.

This study describes about the development of a mechanical manipulation system that can perform three-dimensional nano-machining inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Experiments are carried out by constructing a precise machining platform integrated with pico-motors, linear stages and monolithic-silicon-based tips which is generally used in atomic-force microscope (AFM). This integrated system can easily manipulate the atoms in a workpiece inside an SEM. The platform consists of three translational stages along XYZ axis direction and one rotational stage, with a resolution of 30 nm. The system can be utilized to produce nanopattern such as nanolines, nanoscale characters on silicon substrate coated with gold (Au) and aluminum (Al). Molecular dynamics simulation model is used to analyze the machining mechanism from various machining parameters. The same AFM tip can be utilized to scratch away the unwanted material from the workpiece surface.

Mechanical properties of microwave hydrothermally synthesized titanate nanowires.

In this investigation titanate nanowires were synthesized by a microwave hydrothermal process and their nanomechanical characterization was carried out by a compression experiment via buckling instability using a nanomanipulator inside a scanning electron microscope. Nanowires of diameters 120-150 nm and length tens of microns can be synthesized by keeping a commercial nanoparticle inside a microwave oven at 350 W and 210 °C for 5 h. The nanowire was clamped between two cantilevered AFM tips attached to two opposing stages of the manipulator for nanomechanical characterization. The elasticity coefficients of the titanate nanowires were measured by applying a continuously increasing load and observing the buckling instability of the nanowires. The buckling behavior of a nanowire was analyzed from the series of SEM images of displacement of the cantilever attached to the nanowire due to application of load. The critical loads for different sized titanate nanowires were determined and their corresponding Young's modulus was computed with the Euler pinned-fixed end model. The Young's modulus of these microwave hydrothermal process synthesized titanate nanowires were determined to be approximately in the range 14-17 GPa. This investigation confirms the capability of the nanomanipulator via the buckling technique as a constructive device for measuring the mechanical properties of nanoscale materials.