New FREE whitepapers, available from Asylum Research, are ready to download:
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New scanning probe techniques for analyzing organic photovoltaic materials and devices
Rajiv Giridharagopal, Guozheng Shao, Chris Groves, and David S. Ginger discuss organic photovoltaic materials
Organic solar cells hold promise as an economical means of harvesting solar energy due to their ease of production and processing. However, the efficiency of such organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices is currently below that required for widespread adoption. The efficiency of an OPV is inextricably linked to its nanoscale morphology. High-resolution metrology can play a key role in the discovery and optimization of new organic semiconductors in the lab, as well as assist the transition of OPVs from the lab to mass production. We review the instrumental issues associated with the application of scanning probe microscopy techniques such as photoconductive atomic force microscopy and time-resolved electrostatic force microscopy that have been shown to be useful in the study of nanostructured organic solar cells. These techniques offer unique insight into the underlying heterogeneity of OPV devices and provide a nanoscale basis for understanding how morphology directly affects OPV operation. Finally, we discuss opportunities for further improvements in scanning probe microscopy to contribute to OPV development. All measurements and imaging discussed in this application note were performed with an Asylum Research MFP-3D-BIO™ Atomic Force Microscope.
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Contact resonance viscoelastic mapping mode
Looking at one of the many nanomechanical tools in Asylum’s NanomechPro™ Toolkit
Asylum Research’s Contact Resonance Viscoelastic Mapping Mode option for the MFP-3D™ and Cypher™ S atomic force microscopes (AFMs) enables high resolution, quantitative imaging of both elastic storage modulus and viscoelastic loss modulus. It is just one of the many nanomechanical tools in Asylum’s NanomechPro™ Toolkit. The contact resonance technique is particularly well suited for characterizing moderate to high modulus materials in the range of about 1GPa to 200GPa. Thanks to recent advances by Asylum and our collaborators, Contact Resonance Viscoelastic Mapping Mode is now faster, more quantitative, and easier to use than earlier implementations.
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Measuring surface roughness with atomic force microscopy
How does AFM help us understand and characterize nanoscale and even sub-angstrom roughness?
Surface roughness plays a crucial role in determining the functional performance of many devices. This effect of form on function is also present at the nanoscale and below. Understanding and characterizing nanoscale and even sub-angstrom roughness is becoming increasingly important to our ability to continue exploring and building devices at ever smaller length scales.
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