This research project has received funding from the EU's H2020 framework programme for research and innovation under grant agreement n. 654360 from 1/9/2015 to 31/8/2020
20 Sep 2018
There is growing interest in the study of the electrical properties of single nano-objects. This deliverable demonstrates the successful fabrication of arrays of nanogaps via exploiting the precision of growth processes for lateral patterning, as the nanogaps arrays could be used as a substrate to correlate the structural properties of nanomaterials immobilized between the gaps with their electrical properties. In particular, technologies for fabrication of metallic nanogaps down to 10 nm and nanogaps arrays, as well as arrays of individual nanogaps, have been developed. Also fabrication parameters have been optimized for minimising leakage currents and improving electrode characteristics. Current technology is now readilly available for the needs of NFFA users via the transnational access procedure.20 Sep 2018
This JRA5 deliverable report D10.6 “Test experiment of transfer and positioning system to a soft Xray microscopy setup” describes the status of the implementation of the transfer and positioning system to the soft X-ray microscopy setups at SOLEIL, France. All technical prerequisites have been developed, are readily available for use and are in particular as part already offered to NFFA transnational access users. In particular, both, the nano-transfer tool developed within JRA5, including the three columns i) the Matlab and Python implementation of the software script, ii) the “hierarchical marker design on demand” as well as iii) the electron- (EBID) and ion-(IBID) induced deposition, as well as the capabilities for a nano-transfer at the SOLEIL beamlines are all implemented and integrated. The goals of all three columns have been achieved, as separately documented in several JRA5 deliverable reports. The software-setup and the marker technology has been tested and approved, and are ready to use. At the soft X-ray beamlines at SOLEIL dedicated for the “Advanced Nano- Object Transfer and Positioning” the equipment and technical infrastructure ensures compatibility and easy implementation. In a test experiment to be scheduled at the time of the deadline, the full integration of the nanotransfer tool on one hand and the positioning devices at the SOLEIL beamline at the other hand will be shown. At the same time, the array markers created by direct-write non-linear lithography at FORTH will be utilised to permit a nano-transfer based on the re-location of selected nano-objects at a nano-science centre to a soft-X-ray beamline setup at an Analytical Large Scale Facility (ALSF). We in particular stress here that the compatibility between the modular transfer and positioning system and the hardware at the two dedicated SOLEIL parallel imaging X-ray photoemission electron microscope (XPEEM) and the scanning microscope (STXM) beamlines at SOLEIL has been achieved and the technical feasibility of D10.6 is assured.20 Sep 2018
The dissemination and awareness activities of NFFA-Europe heavily contributed to the success of the NFFA-Europe project. Its very positive impact to the TransNational Access programme, this is shown by the large number of proposals submitted for the use of the NFFA-Europe infrastructure. During the third year, the activities were not only kept at the same level of the previous years but were broadened, because the end of the project is still far away and there is atill enough time to approach new users for let them use the infrastructure available within the NFFA-Europe project. During the third year the NFFA-Europe project has been presented at 22 conferences; two dedicated NFFA-Europe events have been organized; two issues of the NFFA-Europe Newsletter have been published and distributed to a number of scientists; an advertisment page has been published reaching a huge number of scientists. The international collaborations to US and Australian similar projects are producing good results in terms of future collaborations. The NFFA-Europe dissemination programme is definitely in line with the expectations.
This research project has received funding from the EU's H2020 framework programme for research and innovation under grant agreement n. 654360 from 1/9/2015 to 31/8/2020
