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Electron microscopy and spectroscopy of nanophotonic structures and materials
Řepa, Rostislav ; Paták, Aleš (oponent) ; Křápek, Vlastimil (vedoucí práce)
The lightning-rod effect is a well-established principle in electrostatics, characterized by the generation of a strong electric field near the pointed features of a charged conductor. In the field of plasmonics, the influence of local curvature on the induced electric field around metal nanoparticles (plasmonic antennas) is similarly observed. Besides this socalled plasmonic lightning rod effect, other phenomena such as the charge reservoir of the plasmonic antenna, the surface wave localization, and the interaction between two plasmonic antennas also contribute to field enhancement. This thesis utilizes electron energy loss spectroscopy and electromagnetic simulations to quantitatively examine these distinct phenomena by isolating their partial contributions to the strength of the induced electric field around a plasmonic antenna.
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Transmission of very slow electrons as a diagnostic tool
Frank, Luděk ; Nebesářová, Jana ; Vancová, Marie ; Paták, Aleš ; Mikmeková, Eliška ; Müllerová, Ilona
The penetration of electrons through solids is retarded by sequences of their interactions with the matter in which the electron changes its direction of motion and loses its energy. Inelastic collisions, the intensity of which reaches a maximum at around 50 electronvolts (eV) and drops steeply on both sides of this fuzzy threshold, are decisive for the penetration of electrons. Transmission microscopy (TEM or STEM) observes thin samples of tens to hundreds of nanometres in thickness by passing electrons of energies of tens to hundreds of kiloelectronvolts through them. The range below 50 eV has recently been utilized in the examination of surfaces with reflected electrons, where high image resolution is achieved thanks to the retardation of electrons close to the sample surface in the ´cathode lens´ . In this lens, the role of the cathode is played by the sample itself, biased to a high negative potential. This principle can also be utilized in the transmission mode with samples of a thickness at and below 10 nm. This method has recently been implemented and verified on graphene samples prepared by various methods. The results have made it possible to diagnose the continuity and quality of the graphene flakes. Furthermore, series of experiments have been performed involving the observation of ultrathin tissue sections with electrons decelerated to about 500 eV and less, where they provide an image contrast of the cell ultrastructure much higher than that provided by traditional microscopic modes.
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STEM modes in SEM
Konvalina, Ivo ; Paták, Aleš ; Mikmeková, Eliška ; Mika, Filip ; Müllerová, Ilona
The segmented semiconductor STEM detector in the Magellan 400 FEG SEM microscope\n(https://www.fei.com/) is used to detect transmitted electrons (TEs) and allows observing\nsamples in four imaging modes. Two modes of objective lens, namely high resolution (HR)\nand ultra-high resolution (UHR), differ by their resolution and by the presence or absence of\na magnetic field around the sample. If the beam deceleration (BD) mode is chosen, then\nan electrostatic field around the sample is added and two further microscope modes HR + BD\nand UHR + BD, become available. Trajectories of TEs are studied with regard to their angular\nand energy distribution in each mode in this work.\n
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Examination of 2D crystals in a low voltage SEM/STEM
Mikmeková, Eliška ; Frank, Luděk ; Polčák, J. ; Paták, Aleš ; Lejeune, M.
Development of new types of materials such as 2D crystals (graphene, MoS2, WS2, h-BN, etc.) requires emergence of new surface-sensitive techniques for their characterization. As regards the “surface” sensitivity, the (ultra) low energy electron microscopy can become a very powerful tool for true examination of these atom-thick materials, capable of confirming physical phenomena predicted to occur on their surfaces. Modern commercial scanning electron microscopes enable imaging and analyses by low energy electrons even at very high magnification. In the case of the SEM, resolution even below 1 nm can be achieved at low landing energy of electrons. Since specimen contamination increases with increasing electron dose and decreasing landing energy, specimen cleanness is a critical factor in obtaining meaningful data. A range of various specimen cleaning methods can be applied to selected samples. Typical cleaning methods, such as solvent rinsing, heating, bombarding with ions and plasma etching have their limitations. Electron-induced in situ cleaning procedure can be gentle, experimentally convenient and very effective for wide range of specimens. Even a small amount of hydrocarbon contamination can severely impact on the results obtained with low energy electrons, as illustrated in Figure 1A. During the scanning of surfaces by electrons, the image usually darkens because of a carbonaceous layer gradually deposited on the top from adsorbed hydrocarbon precursors.
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Babinet principle for plasmonic antennas: complementarity and differences
Horák, M. ; Křápek, V. ; Hrtoň, M. ; Metelka, O. ; Šamořil, T. ; Stöger-Pollach, M. ; Paták, Aleš ; Šikola, T.
Plasmonics deals mainly with surface plasmon polaritons (SPP), which are collective oscillations of free electrons at metal-dielectric interfaces connected with the local electromagnetic field. When SPP are spatially restricted to a metallic nanoparticle, we talk about localized surface plasmons (LSP). LSP resonances can be characterized with an excellent spectral and spatial resolution by electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and cathodoluminescence. Both techniques utilize an electron beam that interacts with the metallic nanoparticle and excites the LSP resonances. EELS measures the energy transferred from electrons to the LSP and cathodoluminescence deals with the light which the LSP emit during their decay. Babinet principle, originating in the wave theory of light and analysis of diffraction, relates the optical response of apertures in thin films and their complementary particle analogues. According to the Babinet principle, LSP in complementary particles and apertures have identical resonance energies and their near fields are closely linked: the electric field distribution of a specific in-plane polarization for an aperture corresponds to the magnetic field distribution of a perpendicular polarization for a particle.
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Golden nanoparticle in optical tweezers: influence of shape and orientation on optical trapping
Šiler, Martin ; Brzobohatý, Oto ; Chvátal, Lukáš ; Karásek, Vítězslav ; Paták, Aleš ; Pokorná, Zuzana ; Mika, Filip ; Zemánek, Pavel
Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted increased attention in recent years due to various applications of resonant collective oscillations of free electrons excited with light (plasmon resonance). In contrast to bulk metal materials, where this plasmon resonance frequency depends only on the free electron number density, the optical response of gold and silver NPs can be tuned over the visible and near-infrared spectral region by the size and shape of the NP. Precise and remote placement and orientation of NPs inside cells or tissue would provide another degree of control for these applications. A single focused laser beam – optical tweezers – represents the most frequently used arrangement which provides threedimensional (3D) contact-less manipulation with dielectric objects or living cells ranging in size from tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers. It was believed that larger metal NPs behave as tiny mirrors that are pushed by the light beam radiative force along the direction of beam propagation, without a chance to be confined. However, recently several groups have reported successful optical trapping of gold and silver particles as large as 250 nm. We\noffer an explanation based on the fact that metal nanoparticles naturally occur in various nonspherical\nshapes, and their optical properties differ significantly due to changes in localized plasmon excitation.
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E-beam Nano-patterning for Electroforming Replication
Krátký, Stanislav ; Kolařík, Vladimír ; Urbánek, Michal ; Paták, Aleš ; Horáček, Miroslav ; Matějka, Milan
This contribution deals with nano-patterning by the way of electron beam lithography with satisfying requirements for electroforming replication of desired patterns. Electron beam lithography can be used for creating nano graphics (images, text etc.) due to its very high resolution and precision. However, patterns created by electron beam lithography cannot be applied for mass production directly because of resist material soft nature (usually a polymer material). Because of that, hard printing plate must be produced. Nickel plate prepared by electroforming is one of the ways to accomplish that. Prior to the production of nickel plate by electroforming, the surface of polymer material has to be covered by a sufficiently thick layer of metal. This procedure can lead to a partial destruction of the motif (completely covered by metal) thus the decreasing of nano graphics resolution. In this paper several nano graphics (images and text with various resolutions) are prepared in positive resist PMMA (thickness of 2000 nm) by e-beam lithography. Chemical developer (pentyl acetate) was used for wet developing of prepared patterns. The sputtering of silver (100 nm) was carried out to achieve sufficient thickness of conductive layer for electroforming. Electron scanning microscope was used for evaluation, which one of the images and texts are still recognizable.
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Very low energy STEM for biology
Frank, Luděk ; Nebesářová, Jana ; Vancová, Marie ; Paták, Aleš ; Müllerová, Ilona
Examination of tissue sections with transmitted electrons has been performed at energies of hundreds and tens of eV with thicknesses of sections of 10 nm or less. This was possible by employing the cathode lens principle working without lowest energy limitations with the help of biasing the sample to a high negative potential. The reflected and transmitted electrons were attracted with the same electric field to earthed detectors situated above and below the sample. Very high image contrasts have been obtained even for samples free of any heavy metal salts for contrast enhancement.
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