title: Solid-state SiO₂ nano-gears AFM tip manipulation on HOPG.
abstract: On a native graphite surface, 15 nm-thick solid-state nanogears are nanofabricated with a 30 nm outer diameter and six teeth. The nanogears are manipulated one at a time by the tip of an atomic force microscope using the sample stage displacements for the manipulation and recording of the corresponding manipulation signals. For step heights below 3.0 nm, nanogears are manipulated up and down native graphite surface step edges. In the absence of a central shaft per nanogear, gearing between nanogears is limited to a few 1/12 turns for six teeth. When the graphite step is higher than 3 nm, a rack-and-pinion mechanism was constructed along the edge with a 90 nm nanogear pinion.
authors.affiliation: Nanoscience Group and International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA) Satellite, CEMES/CNRS, 29 Rue Marvig, BP 94347, 31055 Toulouse Cedex, France. International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
authors.forename: Jianshu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Cedic
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Troadec
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ondarçuhu
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Joachim