The five Joint Research Activities (JRAs) support Transnational Activities by integrating in-house technological developments and novel scientific arguments within the offer of NFFA-Europe. The deliverables of the JRAs will be transferred to TA at the end of the third year of the project or earlier. The final goal of JRA-related activities is to improve, both in quality and quantity, the integrated services offered to users. During the first year of research activity, common protocols among partners and complementary methodologies across different laboratories and institutions have been developed. Selected examples of the ongoing JRA research are:
JRA2- High Precision Manufacturing.
Development of 3D lithography techniques (FORTH, PSI, DESY).
The challenge consists of increasing the resolution in order to fabricate smaller structures with improved metallic (magnetic) coating, while avoiding lithographic artefacts. To reach this goal, nano-characterisation via X-ray techniques is mandatory. Nano-tomography measurements have been performed at synchrotron beamlines at PETRA III (DESY) and at SLS (PSI).
A. Buckyball structures (5.7 μm in diameter) written using two-photon lithography at FORTH. B. X-ray nano-tomography of a 5 μm buckyball structure imaged in amplitude contrast at beamline P05, PETRA III, DESY; C. X-ray nano-tomography imaged in phase contrast at PSI SLS-TomCat beamline.
JRA5- Advanced Nano-object Transfer and Positioning.
Development and definition of a protocol for transfer and positioning of nano-objects permitting an identification of a nanoscale sample area and hierarchical marker strategies (DESY, CNRS, ESRF, FORTH)
The DESY NanoLab SEM based gas injection system to deposit Pt markers using electron beam induced deposition at preselected sites was tested on beamline P10 at Petra III (Hamburg); during the test experiment, the Pt markers were localised using the X-ray fluorescence and the nano-objects were successfully located. The main goal of the activity is to develop fully automated and remote controlled protocols of location of nano-objects. A user’ questionnaire has been sent to partners to identify common requirements and develop a modular system.
A. Setup at the dedicated JRA5 beamline P10 at PETRA III, DESY, showing the fluorescence detector (in front, with a blue cover) and the nanopositioning stage with a mounted, Pt marker-equipped sample. B. SEM and C. X-ray fluorescence image of two Pt markers written around a single nano-object by e-beam induced deposition on a (100) oriented strontium titanate (STO) single crystal used to re-locate the nano-object.
