Browsing by Subject "Electrostatics"
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Item Data from: Measuring the wall depletion length of nanoconfined DNA (2018)(2018-09-20) Bhandari, Aditya B; Reifenberger, Jeffrey G; Chuang, Hui-Min; Cao, Han; Dorfman, Kevin D; dorfman@umn.edu; Dorfman, Kevin D; DorfmanEfforts to study the polymer physics of DNA con ned in nanochannels have been stymied by a lack of consensus regarding its wall depletion length. We have measured this quantity in 38 nm wide, square silicon dioxide nanochannels for five different ionic strengths between 15 mM and 75 mM. Experiments used the Bionano Genomics Irys platform for massively parallel data acquisition, attenuating the effect of the sequence-dependent persistence length and nite-length effects by using nick-labeled E. coli genomic DNA with contour length separations of at least 30 m (88,325 base pairs) between nick pairs. In excess of 5 million measurements of the fractional extension were obtained from 39,291 labeled DNA molecules. Analyzing the stretching via Odijk's theory for a strongly con ned wormlike chain yielded a linear relationship between the depletion length and the Debye length. This simple linear fi t to the experimental data exhibits the same qualitative trend as previously defined analytical models for the depletion length but now quantitatively captures the experimental data.Item Electrostatic Assist of Liquid Transfer in Printing Processes(2018-07) Huang, Chung-HsuanPrinting processes are being explored for the large-scale manufacture of electronic de- vices. Transfer of liquid from one surface to another plays a key role in most printing processes. During liquid transfer, a liquid bridge is formed and then undergoes sig- nificant extensional motion. Incomplete liquid transfer can produce defects that can be detrimental to device operation. One important printing process is gravure, which involves transfer of liquid from micron-scale cavities at high speeds. Electric fields are sometimes used to enhance liquid transfer, a technique known as electrostatic assist (ESA). However, its underlying physical mechanisms remain a mystery. This thesis uses a combination of theory and experiment to understand the fundamental mechanisms by which electrostatic forces influence liquid transfer. Liquid transfer without electric fields and cavities must be understood before study- ing the mechanism of ESA. We develop one-dimensional (1D) slender-jet and two- dimensional (2D) axisymmetric models of this phenomenon and compare the resulting predictions with previously published experimental data. At relatively low stretching speeds, predictions from both models of the amount of liquid transferred agree well with the experimental data. When the stretching speed is high enough, the models predict that each surface receives half the liquid, in agreement with experimental observations. For intermediate values of the stretching speed, predictions from each model can deviate substantially from the experimental data, which we speculate is due to the influence of surface defects that are not included in the models. The 1D and 2D model are modified to include electrostatic effects. The liquid be- haves like a perfect (non-conducting), or leaky dielectric (poorly conducting) material. The liquid is confined between two plates, with the top plate having a constant electro- static potential while the bottom plate is grounded. For perfect dielectrics, application of an electric field enhances liquid transfer to the more wettable surface because it slows the surface-tension-driven breakup of the bridge, thereby allowing more time for the con- tact line to retract on the less-wettable surface. For leaky dielectrics, application of an electric field can augment or oppose the influence of wettability differences, depending on the direction of the electric field and the sign of the interfacial charge. Experimental results confirm the enhancement of the amount of liquid transferred when the electric field is present, and the measured values are in good agreement with the predictions of the 1D perfect dielectric model. When one of the plate is replaced by a cavity, the presence of the cavity causes the contact line on the cavity wall to effectively pin and inhibits the liquid transfer. For perfect dielectrics, application of an electric field unpins the contact line on the cavity and leads to improvement of cavity emptying. For the leaky dielectrics, the presence of the surface charge does not further improve liquid transfer because of nearly zero electric tangential stress near the contact line on each surface.Item Electrostatic effects in coating and printing processes(2015-01) Ramkrishnan, ArunaCoating and printing are interfacial processes that are highly relevant in industry. Precision coatings impart functionalities and boost the performance of products. On the other hand, high-resolution roll-to-roll printing is being increasingly explored for creating dense and flexible printed electronics at high speeds. Electrostatic effects often significantly influence both these processes. However, in industry, much of the current understanding of these effects is empirical and has not received a rigorous treatment. This thesis discusses how electrostatics and hydrodynamics couple in coating and printing applications, and presents different modes of investigation: simplified thin-film models and flow visualization experiments, to understand the underlying physics of these processes. Throughout this work, the electric response of liquids has been described by the perfect (non-conducting) and leaky dielectric (partially conducting) models, which are representative of many liquids used in industry. In coating processes, electrostatic charges are known to accumulate on the substrate due to various upstream operations (e.g. corona treatment, friction in roll-to-roll equipment). This leads to the buildup of an electric field in the subsequently coated film, which in turn causes the formation of defects due to electrostatically driven flows. Thus, in order to obtain high quality coatings, it is desirable to keep them resistant to electrostatic destabilization. We have carried out a systematic study via the construction of electrohydrodynamic lubrication models to understand the influence of charged substrates and charged interfaces on the leveling of liquid coatings. Based on our findings, we develop simple heuristics that can be used to design coatings that are stable to substrate charging and charge contamination. Electric fields are also present in some printing processes. Developed in the late1960s, electrostatic assist (ESA) has been long used to remove printing defects and enhance image quality in gravure printing, a high-resolution roll to-roll process. ESA involves the application of an electric field to pull ink out of cavities and transfer it onto the desired substrate. However, there is limited understanding of how this process works, which hinders its development as a tool for printed electronics. In order to address this issue, we develop a model for electrostatically assisted meniscus deformation near a cavity (this describes the first stage of electrostatic assist). Our calculations show that electric fields pull up the ink meniscus either at the edges or at the center of the cavity, depending on the ink conductivity. This suggests that ink contact with the substrate will be improved during ESA but air entrapment occurs for a certain range of conductivities, which would be detrimental to print quality. Our model also enables us to investigate the effect of cavity shape and spacing on the mode of deformation of the ink surface. In order to validate the findings from our electrohydrodynamic model, we have carried out flow visualization experiments to track the deformation of liquids contained in cavities, and these corroborate the qualitative trends of meniscus deformation predicted by the model.Item Nanoscale mechanics of helical and angular structures: exploring and expanding the capabilities of objective molecular dynamics(2014-06) Nikiforov, Ilia AndreyevichObjective molecular dynamics (OMD) is a recently developed generalization of the traditionally employed periodic boundary conditions (PBC) used in atomistic simulations. OMD allows for helical and/or rotational symmetries to be exploited in addition to translational symmetry. These symmetries are especially prevalent in nanostructures, and OMD enables or facilitates many simulations that were previously dicult or impossible to carry out. This includes simulations of pristine structures that inherently possess helical and/or angular symmetries (such as nanotubes), structures that contain defects (such as screw disclocations) or stuctures that are subjected to deformations (such as bending or torsion). OMD is already a powerful method, having been coupled with the quantum-mechanical density functional-based tight-binding (DFTB) method, as well as with classical potentials. In this work, these capabilities are used to investigate electromechanical properties of silicon nanowires, treating the mechanical simulation results in the context of continuum mechanics. The bending of graphene is studied, and the underlying molecular orbital mechanisms are investigated. The implications of the results on other simulation methods used to study bending of graphene are discussed. OMD is used in an experimental-theoretical collaboration studying the kinking of graphene and boron nitride nanoribbons. The simulations elucidate and quantify the underlying mechanism behind the kinking seen in experiments.Although theoretically, as a generalization, OMD can match or exceed the capabilities of PBC in all cases, OMD is a new method. Thus, practical implementation must be tackled to expand the capabilities of OMD to new simulation methods and simulation types. In this work, OMD is expanded to allow coupling with self-consistent charge (SCC) DFTB, by developing and implementing the required summation formulas for electrostatic and dispersion interactions. SCC-DFTB is an improved form of the standard DFTB method which includes explicit consideration of charge transfer between atoms. This allows for improved description of heteronuclear materials. To demonstrate this capability, proof-of-concept calculations are carried out on a boron nitride nanotube, a screw-dislocated zinc oxide nanowire, and a single-helix DNA molecule.Finally, preliminary development of heat current calculations under OMD is presented. Heat current calculations are used for calculating thermal conductivity of materials from equilibrium molecular dynamics. So far, heat current calculations have been implemented for the pairwise Lennard-Jones potential. The next development (not yet implemented) is the extension of the heat current calculation under OMD to the Tersoff interatomic potential. The challenges and considerations involved are discussed.Item Static and Dynamic Properties of DNA Confined in Nanochannels(2017-10) Gupta, DaminiNext-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques have considerably reduced the cost of high-throughput DNA sequencing. However, it is challenging to detect large-scale genomic variations by NGS due to short read lengths. Genome mapping can easily detect large-scale structural variations because it operates on extremely large intact molecules of DNA with adequate resolution. One of the promising methods of genome mapping is based on confining large DNA molecules inside a nanochannel whose cross-sectional dimensions are approximately 50 nm. Even though this genome mapping technology has been commercialized, the current understanding of the polymer physics of DNA in nanochannel confinement is based on theories and lacks much needed experimental support. The results of this dissertation are aimed at providing a detailed experimental understanding of equilibrium properties of nanochannel-confined DNA molecules. The results are divided into three parts. In first part, we evaluate the role of channel shape on thermodynamic properties of channel confined DNA molecules using a combination of fluorescence microscopy and simulations. Specifically, we show that high aspect ratio of rectangular channels significantly alters the chain statistics as compared to an equivalent square channel with same cross-sectional area. In the second part, we present experimental evidence that weak excluded volume effects arise in DNA nanochannel confinement, which form the physical basis for the extended de Gennes regime. We also show how confinement spectroscopy and simulations can be combined to reduce molecular weight dispersity effects arising from shearing, photo-cleavage, and nonuniform staining of DNA. Finally, the third part of the thesis concerns the dynamic properties of nanochannel confined DNA. We directly measure the center-of-mass diffusivity of single DNA molecules in confinement and show that that it is necessary to modify the classical results of de Gennes to account for local chain stiffness of DNA in order to explain the experimental results. In the end, we believe that our findings from the experimental test of the phase diagram for channel-confined DNA, with careful control over molecular weight dispersity, channel geometry, and electrostatic interactions, will provide a firm foundation for the emerging genome mapping technology.Item Transparent flexible electronics by directed integration of inorganic micro and nanomaterials.(2011-07) Cole, Jesse J.nanomaterials. Our approaches involved local adjustment of electrostatics at the surfaces to control material flux. Templating of surface electrostatics was implemented differently for three broad concepts resulting in control over nanomaterial synthesis, deposition, and printing. These three general concepts are: (A) Tailored ZnO nanowire synthesis and integration out of the liquid phase (B) Arc discharge synthesis and continuous nanocluster deposition from the gas phase (C) Contact electrification and xerographic printing of nanoparticles from the gas phase Concept (A): We report a method to fabricate and transfer crystalline ZnO with control over location, orientation, size, and shape. The process uses an oxygen plasma treatment in combination with a photoresist pattern on Magnesium-doped GaN substrates to define narrow nucleation regions and attachment points with 100 nanometer scale dimensions. Lateral epitaxial overgrowth follows nucleation to produce single crystalline ZnO which were fabricated into LEDs and photovoltaic cells. Concept (B): We report a gas phase nanoparticle deposition system which shares characteristics with liquid phase electrodeposition. Clusters of charged nanoparticles selectively deposit onto electrically grounded surfaces. Similar to electroplating, the continued deposition of Au nanoparticles onto underlying resistive traces increased overall line conductivity. Alternatively, semiconducting ZnO and Ge nanomaterial sequentially deposited between interdigitated electrodes and served as addressable sensor active areas. Concept (C): We report patterned transfer of charge between conformal material interfaces through a concept referred to as nanocontact electrification. Nanocontacts of different size and shape are formed between surface functionalized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamps and other dielectric materials (PMMA, SiO2). Forced delamination and cleavage of the interface yields a well defined charge pattern with a minimal feature size of 100 nm. The process produces charged surfaces and associated fields that exceed the breakdown strength of air leading to strong long range adhesive forces and force distance curves which are recorded over macroscopic distances. The process is applied to fabricate charge patterned surfaces for nanoxerography demonstrating 200 nm resolution nanoparticle prints and applied to thin film electronics where the patterned charges are used to shift the threshold voltages of underlying transistors by over 500 mV.