The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Dr. Ho Seong Lee) has developed a hybrid nano-microscope capable of simultaneously measuring various nano-material properties. This nano-microscope is essential for researching the properties of nano-composite materials and is also suitable for commercialization, expected to promote the development of industries for related materials and equipment.
The newly developed microscope combines the functions of atomic force microscopy, photo-induced force microscopy, and electrostatic force microscopy. Instead of using lenses, it employs a fine functional probe to tap the sample, allowing simultaneous measurement of the optical and electrical properties as well as the shape of nano-materials with a single scan.
Bilayer graphene is one of the typical nano-materials that benefit from using the hybrid nano-microscope, with superior mechanical strength, flexibility, and high thermal conductivity compared to monolayer graphene. Depending on the voltage applied to each layer or the twisted angle between two layers, the bilayer graphene exhibits various properties, including superconductivity. The KRISS Material Property Metrology Group elucidated the principles of the unique infrared absorption response observed in bilayer graphene, confirming this phenomenon is caused by charge imbalance between the two layers, and experimentally demonstrated the ability to control infrared absorption by inducing and adjusting this imbalance.
Conventional nano-microscopes could only measure a single property of a material at a time, making it challenging to measure and analyze composite properties. The novel nano-microscope developed by KRISS can be manufactured without significant changes to the structure of the existing atomic force microscope, making the KRISS research team the first to develop a hybrid nano-microscope that can be commercialized.
Dr. Eun Seong Lee, a principal researcher from the KRISS Material Property Metrology Group, said: "This achievement is the culmination of our research experience in nano-measurement since 2015. We hope to secure a leading position in the research on new materials by developing nano-measurement technology for composite properties."
The results of this study were published online in Light: Science & Applications in November 2023, and technology transfer and applications for overseas patents are underway.
Source: Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science
