Adhesion detachment and movement of gold nanoclusters induced by dynamic atomic force microscopy

Via dissipation processes in dynamic atomic force microscopy (AFM), we have investigated adhesion and frictional properties of deposited nanoclusters, under controlled ambient conditions. Specifically, we have considered gold nanoclusters with nominal diameters of 13 and 24 nm physisorbed on silicon substrate. The manipulation experiment has shown unambiguously that the amplitude modulation AFM method and the calibration procedure adopted allow us to discern and measure the size dependence of the energy detachment threshold for deposited objects down to the nanometer scale. Moreover, allowing us to switch easily and with high repeatability between imaging and manipulation during the AFM scans, this operational method proves to be a promising tool for inducing controlled spatial displacements at these length scales.