Koo-Hyun Chung

Fundamental Investigation of Micro Wear Rate Using an Atomic Force Microscope

Micro-wear characteristics of Si and Si3N4 tips and the surfaces of Au, Cu, DLC, and bare Si were investigated using an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). The range of applied load was between 10 to 800 nN. It was found that the wear coefficient values were between 10-3 to 10-1 and 10-5 to 10-4 for Si and Si3N4 tip, respectively. The experimentally obtained wear rates were comparable to those of the macro-scale systems. Also, evidence of micro-plastic deformation could be found on the wear track.

Nanomechanical properties of thin films of type I collagen fibrils.

The mechanical cues that adherent cells derive from the extracellular matrix (ECM) can effect dramatic changes in cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Model ECMs composed of collagen fibrils formed from purified collagen are an important experimental system to study cell responses to mechanical properties of the ECM. Using a self-assembled model system of a film composed of 100-200 nm diameter collagen fibrils overlaying a bed of smaller fibrils, we have previously demonstrated changes in cellular response to systematically controlled changes in mechanical properties of the collagen. In this study, we describe an experimental and modeling approach to calculate the elastic modulus of individual collagen fibrils, and thereby the effective stiffness of the entire collagen thin film matrix, from atomic force microscopy force spectroscopy data. These results demonstrate an approach to the analysis of fundamental properties of thin, heterogeneous, and organic films and add further insights into the mechanical and topographical properties of collagen fibrils that are relevant to cell responses to the ECM.

The relative roles of collagen adhesive receptor DDR2 activation and matrix stiffness on the downregulation of focal adhesion kinase in vascular smooth muscle cells

Cells within tissues derive mechanical anchorage and specific molecular signals from the insoluble extracellular matrix (ECM) that surrounds them. Understanding the role of different cues that extracellular matrices provide cells is critical for controlling and predicting cell response to scaffolding materials. Using an engineered extracellular matrix of Type I collagen we examined how the stiffness, supramolecular structure, and glycosylation of collagen matrices influence the protein levels of cellular FAK and the activation of myosin II. Our results show that (1) cellular FAK is downregulated on collagen fibrils, but not on a non-fibrillar monolayer of collagen, (2) the downregulation of FAK is independent of the stiffness of the collagen fibrils, and (3) FAK levels are correlated with levels of tyrosine phosphorylation of the collagen adhesion receptor DDR2. Further, siRNA depletion of DDR2 blocks FAK downregulation. Our results suggest that the collagen receptor DDR2 is involved in the regulation of FAK levels in vSMC adhered to Type I collagen matrices, and that regulation of FAK levels in these cells appears to be independent of matrix stiffness.

Effects of contact geometry on pull-off force measurements with a colloidal probe.

This paper examines the effects of contact geometry on the pull-off (adhesion) force between a glass sphere (colloidal probe) and a silicon wafer in an environment with controlled relative humidity. An atomic force microscope is used to measure the pull-off force between the colloidal probe and the sample mounted at different tilt angles. The results show that the measured pull-off force is very sensitive to the tilt angle. Through the use of a newly developed direct scanning method, the exact contact geometry is determined for the zero-tilt angle case. The obtained digital image is then rotated to determine the contact geometry for the cases with other tilt angles. A detailed examination of the contact geometry, along with a magnitude analysis of the capillary force, suggests that the adhesion is most likely dominated by the capillary force from the meniscus formed between the probe and the sample. The strong dependence of the adhesion on the tilt angle may result from the change of meniscus dimensions associated with the probe-sample separation, which in turn is controlled by the highest peak on the probe sphere. Our observation emphasizes the combined role of microsurface shape near the contact and nanoroughness within the contact in determining the colloidal probe pull-off force and also microadhesion force in general.

The treatment of collagen fibrils by tissue transglutaminase to promote vascular smooth muscle cell contractile signaling.

The enzyme tissue transglutaminase 2 (TG2) appears to play an important role in several physiological processes such as wound healing, the progression of cancer and of vascular disease. Additionally, TG2 has been proposed as a means of stabilizing collagen extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. In this report, we examined the effect of TG2 treatment on the mechanical properties of the ECM, and associated cell responses. Using a model ECM of fibrillar collagen, we quantitatively examined vascular smooth muscle cell (vSMC) response to untreated, or TG2 treated collagen. We show that cells respond to TG2 treated collagen with increased spreading, an increase in contractile response as indicated by elevated F-actin polymerization and myosin light chain phosphorylation, and increased proliferation, without apparent changes in integrin specificity or matrix topography. Comparative atomic force microscopy loading studies indicate that TG2 treated fibrils are 3 times more resistant to shearing force from an AFM tip than untreated fibrils. The data suggest that TG2 treatment of collagen increases matrix mechanical stiffness, which apparently alters the contractile and proliferative response of vSMC.

Accurate noncontact calibration of colloidal probe sensitivities in atomic force microscopy

The absolute force sensitivities of colloidal probes comprised of atomic force microscope, or AFM, cantilevers with microspheres attached to their distal ends are measured. The force sensitivities are calibrated through reference to accurate electrostatic forces, the realizations of which are described in detail. Furthermore, the absolute accuracy of a common AFM force calibration scheme, known as the thermal noise method, is evaluated. It is demonstrated that the thermal noise method can be applied with great success to colloidal probe calibration in air and in liquid to yield force measurements with relative standard uncertainties below 5%. Techniques to combine the electrostatics-based determination of the AFM force sensitivity with measurements of the colloidal probes thermal noise spectrum to compute noncontact estimates of the displacement sensitivity and spring constant are also developed.

Multi-resistive Reduced Graphene Oxide Diode with Reversible Surface Electrochemical Reaction induced Carrier Control

The extended application of graphene-based electronic devices requires a bandgap opening in order to realize the targeted device functionality. Since the bandgap tuning of pristine graphene is limited to 360 meV, the chemical modification of graphene is considered essential to achieve a large bandgap opening at the expense of electrical properties degradation. Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) has attracted significant interest for fabricating graphene-based semiconductors since it has several advantages over other forms of chemically modified graphene; such as tunable bandgap opening, decent electrical properties, and easy synthesis. Because of the reduced bonding nature of RGO, the role of metastable oxygen in the RGO matrix is recently highlighted and it may offer emerging ionic devices. In this study, we show that multi-resistivity RGO/n-Si diodes can be obtained by controlling the RGO thickness at a nanometer scale. This is made possible by (1) a metastable lattice-oxygen drift within bulk RGO and (2) electrochemical ambient hydroxyl (OH) formation at the RGO surface. The effect demonstrated in a p-RGO/n-Si heterojunction diode is equivalent to electrochemically driven reversible electronic manipulation and therefore provides an important basis for the application of O bistability in RGO for chemical sensors and electrocatalysis.

Lateral force calibration: accurate procedures for colloidal probe friction measurements in atomic force microscopy.

The colloidal probe technique for atomic force microscopy (AFM) has allowed the investigation of an extensive range of surface force phenomena, including the measurement of frictional (lateral) forces between numerous materials. The quantitative accuracy of such friction measurements is often debated, in part due to a lack of confidence in existing calibration strategies. Here we compare three in situ AFM lateral force calibration techniques using a single colloidal probe, seeking to establish a foundation for quantitative measurement by linking these techniques to accurate force references available at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. We introduce a procedure for calibrating the AFM lateral force response to known electrostatic forces applied directly to the conductive colloidal probe. In a second procedure, we apply known force directly to the colloidal probe using a precalibrated piezo-resistive reference cantilever. We found agreement between these direct methods on the order of 2% (within random uncertainty for both measurements). In a third procedure, we performed a displacement-based calibration using the piezo-resistive reference cantilever as a stiffness reference artifact. The method demonstrated agreement on the order of 7% with the direct force methods, with the difference attributed to an expected systematic uncertainty, caused by in-plane deflection in the cantilever during loading. The comparison establishes the existing limits of instrument accuracy and sets down a basis for selection criteria for materials and methods in colloidal probe friction (lateral) force measurements via atomic force microscopy.

Tribological design methods for minimum surface damage of HDD slider

In order to optimize the tribological characteristics of the head/disk interface (HDI) of a hard disk drive, the surface damage mechanisms must be clearly understood. Once the mechanisms have been clearly identified schemes to contain the adverse effects of contact sliding can be conceived. In this work, based on the axiomatic design methodology, the design parameters of the HDI tribological behavior were investigated with respect to the functional requirements of the HDI. The basic tribological characteristics of micro-systems and HDI were reviewed and analyzed. Based on this knowledge design methods based on a combination of techniques such as μ-grooves for particle trapping, pads for stiction reduction, and organic ultra-thin film for surface energy reduction is presented.

Near bandgap second-order nonlinear optical characteristics of MoS2 monolayer transferred on transparent substrates

We have investigated the second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of CVD-grown MoS2 monolayer (ML) transferred onto transparent substrates such as fused silica and polyethylene terephthalate. The physical properties of the transferred MLs were characterized by optical and NLO methods. We measured the second-order susceptibility χ(2) in the spectral range of λ= 1064–1600 nm in which the corresponding second harmonic radiation resonates with the exciton levels. It was found that χ(2) is strongly enhanced by up to a factor of 5 near the A- and B-exciton levels due to two-photon resonance. The absolute χ(2) values of our samples determined by both reflection and transmission geometry are on par with that of as-grown MLs. Our results imply that the cavity-confinement scheme can be employed for maximizing the nonlinear optical efficiency of atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides for transparent/flexible optoelectronics applications, especially when oriented stacking of transferred MLs are contr...