Morphology and functionality of 3D electro-mechanical structures and systems

The project is concerned with the systems on the nano and micro scale elaborated and built within the promotion program “Self-organizing multifunctional structures for adaptive high performance light weight constructions”. For this purpose the 3D systems, from preliminary stages all the way to the final morphology, will be investigated using various AFM methods as imaging and characterization tools for their physical properties. This includes force-distance curve mapping to obtain the mechanical properties with forces in the range of a few µN, the force modulation microscopy in contact as well as the intermodulation microscopy in intermittent contact. The last two techniques allow to determine the mechanical response also for soft systems with forces in the nN range, but with increased resolution. Electro-mechanical microscopy on piezoelectric polymer nanocomposites or other electro-mechanically active systems (electrostriction) complements the depth of knowledge with regard to functionality and the dynamic electron microscopy (DySEM). DynSEM allows for the determination of the resonance behavior of mechanical complex systems with nanometer resolution in the frequency range from a few 100 Hz up to approximately 10 MHz. . All dynamical experiments in AFM and DySEM can be performed in the way that the elastic (real part) as well as the dissipative response (imaginary part) are accessible. In addition, spectroscopic methods such as Confocal Raman Spectro Microscopy and XPS are available. Measurements at BESSY II for structure characterization and material changes under mechanical and moderate thermal load can be requested in the frame of the PhD thesis.