News Info News

This news article was originally written in Spanish. It has been automatically translated for your convenience. Reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate translation, however, no automated translation is perfect nor is it intended to replace a human translator. The original article in Spanish can be viewed at Nueva técnica de nanoimagen para estudiar la estructura y conductividad de los cables
It allows to understand the relation between local structure, conductivity and chemical composition of nanocables of oxide of zinc

New technician of nanoimagen to study the structure and conductivity of the cables

Source: SINC04/01/2013
Researchers of CIC nanoGUNE and IK4-Cidetec of San Sebastián have developed a method of image to scale nanométrica to detect relations between the structure, conductivity and composition of nanocables. It treats of the ‘nanoscopía infrared-electronic correlated', whose details publish in the magazine Nature Communications and informs SINC.

Scientific of the Centre of Cooperative Investigation nanoGUNE and IK4-Cidetec, both in San Sebastián (Guipúzcoa), have presented in Nature Communications the ‘nanoscopía infrared-electronic correlated', a new method of taking of nanoimágenes that allows to understand better the relation between local structure, conductivity and chemical composition of nanocables of oxide of zinc.

For this the team has combined the designated s-SNOM —taking of images and infrared spectroscopy with a space resolution of less than 20 nm to produce ‘maps' of chemical composition and conductivity—, beside the electronic microscope of transmission (TEM), that facilitates structural information with atomic resolution.

“Have developed a manufacturing of special samples that allows to combine these two technicians in an only sample”, explains Andrey Chuvilin, researcher of nanoGUNE. “And, as we showed in our study, the correlation between the images taken with TEM and with s-SNOM will help to obtain a deeper knowledge of the properties of the materials to scale nanométrica”, adds Johannes Stiegler, of the same centre.

The nanoscopía infrared-electronic correlated combines two technicians. Image: R. Hillenbrand Et al
The nanoscopía infrared-electronic correlated combines two technicians. Image: R. Hillenbrand Et al.

To check the possibilities that offers the nanoscopía, the researchers have studied transversal sections of nanohilos of oxide of zinc (ZnO). These components present a big potential to be used in the transport of electrons in different fields, like the solar plates, sensors emisores of light and nanogeneradores piezoelectric. However, up to now they know few appearances on the local conductivity inside these ‘cables'.

Observing the infrared images of s-SNOM the researchers have found a profile of radial conductivity, but his origin and properties explains with the help of a TEM. The regions of little conductivity of the ‘wire' of ZnO show crystalline defects significantes. From the two images can conclude that it gives a reverse correlation between the density of the defects and the concentration of free bearers (conductivity).

New possibilities

Ramón Tena-Zaera, director of the Unit Fotovoltáica of IK4-Cidetec, explains that “this new technician allows, for the first time, obtain all this information on an only sample”. “Our results open new possibilities in the growth and the integration of nanohilos of ZnO”.

Up to now the scientific community had centred in obtaining nanohilos with the lower possible diameter because they considered that had potential elder. By the contrary, the new results suggest that a greater lateral —growth diameter— has more advantages to achieve free materials of defects and of high electronic conductivity.

Although in this study have used for a special sample, “the method of the nanoscopía infrared-electronic correlated has a much more extensive applicability —concludes Rainer Hillenbrand, leader of the Group of Nanoóptica of nanoGUNE and coordinator of the study—and has a big potential to study new materials like the grafeno, topological insulation, materials of change of phase (PCM), or nanoestructuras biological and organic”.

bibliographic Reference:

Stiegler J.M., Tena-Zaera R., Idigoras Or., Chuvilin To. And Hillenbrand R. “Correlative infrared–electron nanoscopy reveals the Local structure–conductivity relationship in zinc oxide nanocables”. Nature Communications 3:1131, 2012. Doi: 10.1038/ncomms2118.

Suscríbase a nuestra Newsletter - Ver ejemplo

Password

Select all

Autorizo el envío de newsletters y avisos informativos personalizados de interempresas.net

I authorize the sending of communications from third parties via interempresas.net

He leído y acepto el Legal notice y la Data protection policy

Responsable: Interempresas Media, S.L.U. Purpose: Subscription to our newsletter(s). User account management. Sending emails related to the same or related to similar or associated interests.Retention: for the duration of the relationship with you, or as long as necessary to carry out the specified purposesTransfer: Data may be transferred to other group companies for internal management purposes.Rights: Access, rectification, opposition, deletion, portability, limitation of processing and automated decisions: contact our DPD. If you consider that the processing does not comply with the regulations in force, you may lodge a complaint with the AEPD.More information: Data protection policy

REVISTAS

TOP PRODUCTS

NEWSLETTERS

  • Newsletter Automatización y Componentes

    18/09/2024

  • Newsletter Automatización y Componentes

    04/09/2024

Highlighted links

Matelec - IFEMAAdvanced FactoriesX Jornadas

Latest news

Featured companies

OPINIÓN

ENTIDADES COLABORADORAS

OTRAS SECCIONES

Services