title: Tip loading effects on AFM-based transport measurements of metal-oxide interfaces.
abstract: Here we demonstrate the effects of tip loading force on the contact quality and local current-voltage character between conductive AFM tips and individual noble metal nanoparticle-strontium titanate (NP-STO) interfaces. These results show that though contact quality may improve with increased loading force, nanoparticle deformation remains negligible for loading forces in the nN-μN range. Maintaining a moderate loading force in the tens to hundreds of nN therefore enables size-dependent transport of individual NP-STO interfaces to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA, USA.
authors.forename: Jiechang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Baptiste
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rouxel
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Stephen S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Nonnenmann
authors.forename: Dawn A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Bonnell