CORDIS

Nanotechnology has emerged in recent years as a technology able to manipulate matter at the very small scale within the nanometer range (from one to one hundred nanometers). This new technology offers potential applications in many areas of science and technology including Electronics, Biology, Medicine and Materials Science. The research and manufacture of Nanotechnology based products is widely recognized to depend strongly on the development of Advanced Microscopy techniques, like Electron Microscopy or Scanning Probe Microscopy, which outsource the limited spatial resolution of conventional Optical Microscopy. Recent years have witnessed a tremendous development of these Advanced Microscopy techniques, but still there are important hurdles to be overcome. At present, the greatest challenges faced include the realization of fast images with nanoscale spatial resolution to monitor the dynamics of nanoscale processes, the realization of nanoscale images of the inside of the materials in a non-destructive way (nanotomography), and the realization of nanoscale images sensitive to the chemical composition of the materials with sub-10 nm spatial resolution. These challenges apply to both inorganic and organic (biological) materials, and for samples in all environmental conditions (vacuum, air and liquid). Currently Scanning Probe Microscopes are the Advanced Microscopy techniques experiencing the fastest evolution and innovation towards solving these challenges. The objective of the SPM2.0 European Training Network is to train a new generation of researchers in the science and technology of these novel Scanning Probe Microscopes (SPM2.0) in which Europe is currently in a leading position. The Network aims at enforcing its further development and its quick and wide commercialization and implementation in the public and private sectors, including metrology institutions. The researchers of the network will acquire a solid state-of-the-art multidisciplinary scientific training in SPM2.0 microscopy techniques, covering from basic science to industrial applications, and will generate new scientific and technological knowledge on them to promote its further evolution. In addition, the researchers will receive a practical training on transferable skills in order to increase their employability perspectives and to qualify them to access to responsibility job positions in the private and public sectors. The final aim of the network is to consolidate Europe as the world leader in Scanning Probe Microscopy technologies, promoting its application in the development of Nanotechnology based products in key sectors like Materials, Microelectronics, Biology and Medicine.

Main actions performed during the first years consisted in setting-up the management and board structure of the SPM2.0 network (done at the Kickoff meeting in January 2017) and the recruitment of the 14 early stage researchers (ESR). The recruitment was successfully implemented following an open and transparent recruitment procedure (23 applicants per position on the average, of which around 30% were from women). Finally, 5 were women (around a 36%). All fellows enrolled in a Doctoral Program in a University. Moreover, the webpage of the project was also set-up, and it is being continuously updated. It constitutes the main tool for communication and dissemination of the project. Additional dissemination for the public is made by the publication of an annual newsletter of the network. In January 2018 the first Training Workshop (TW) took place in Montpellier (France), all fellows attended, and which included courses on the fundamentals of scanning probe microscopy, high speed atomic force microscopy, designing a personal carrier development plan and good practices in scientific communication. First Network meeting took place, at which all fellows, beneficiaries and project managers attended. At the meeting the evolution of the project was reviewed and the alignment of the consortium towards the objectives of the project for the next year was setup. Finally, the ESRs have the first meeting with their assessment commissions to monitor the integration of the fellow at the host institutions and in the network and the progress of their research project. Then, Personal Carrier Development (PCD) plan of each fellow of the network was elaborated and approved by the network training board. PCDs contain the ensemble of research objectives and training actions to be undertaken by each ESR, and it is agreed between the fellow and its supervisor. During the second year the ambitious secondment plan started. At the end of the second year more than 25 months of secondments have been implemented involving all institutions and 11 ESRs. The second TW took place in Modena (Italy) in June 2018 (All fellows attended), which included courses on introduction to composition sensitive scanning probe microscopies, nanotomographic scanning probe microscopies and organization of scientific events. During the second-year research activities have advanced significantly following the scheduled plan and with the main active contribution of the ESRs of the network. Significant theoretical advances have been made regarding the interpretation of scanning probe microscopy measurements for nanoscale composition measurements based on mechanical, electrical and optical measurements. Moreover, the basis for a nanotomographic reconstruction algorithm based on the electrical properties of the interior of objects with nanoscale spatial resolution have been set-up. Finally, deep metrological analysis of the best practices in the calibration of the spring constant of atomic force microscopy probes has been issued. These results have given rise to one scientific publication, and 18 communications to national and international conferences. Moreover, several seminars have been given in different institutions to disseminate the results of the project. A summary of the work and results obtained during the second year are contained in the second newsletter for dissemination to a broad audience.

The theoretical methods developed to assist in the compositional mapping of materials at the nanoscale based on the mechanical, electrical or optical properties of the materials are well-beyond the state of the art. Such methods, combined with the experimental measurements, point towards an automatic quantitative interpretations of scanning probe microscopy images for nanoscale composition mapping, which is not available today, yet. Such automatic methods could open to non-experts the possibility to perform multiparametric composition analysis of samples at the nanoscale, thus greatly facilitating its introduction and wide dissemination within the scientific community and in the industrial sector to facilitate the production of nanotechnology-based products. Concerning the report on good practices in probe calibration for atomic force microscopy it contains valuable information obtained from advanced scanning probe microscopy developers and users belonging to the network, which could contribute to the standardization of this procedure, which still has not been achieved within the scanning probe microscopy community. Standardization is a critical requirement for industrial applications of scanning probe microscopy techniques. Therefore, these developments could contribute to the adoption of the SPM2.0 microscopy techniques by the industry.