Determining the electronic properties of individual nanointerfaces by combining intermittent AFM imaging and contact spectroscopy

A method to determine the electronic properties at nanointerfaces or of nanostructures by utilizing intermittent contact atomic force microscopy and contact spectroscopy in one system is developed. By combining these two methods, the integrity of the interface or structure is maintained during imaging, while the extraction of the electronic information is obtained with contact spectroscopy. This method is especially vital for understanding interfaces between metal nanoparticles and substrates, where the nanoparticles are not tethered to the surface and can be combined with new and evolving techniques of thermal drift compensation to allow for a larger range of experiments on nanointerfaces and nanostructures in ambient environments. An experimental probe for quantifying the properties of individual interfaces with diameters in the range of 20 to 100 nm is developed, which is based on scanning probe microscopy.