This work presents high sensitive detection of specific adsorption of proteins onto a silicon oxide (SiOx) surface modified by molecules with a biotinyl-end group. We fabricated a SiOx waveguide by sputtering onto a thin gold film and measured the incident angle-dependence of reflectivity using a polarized He-Ne laser under total internal reflection condition. When the s-polarized light was irradiated to the SiOx waveguide (760 nm) coupled with a prism, the incident angle-dependence of reflectivity showed narrow dips due to excitation of the waveguide mode. The waveguide surface was modified by the molecules with the biotinyl-end group as a protein probe. Specific adsorption of streptavidin in a PBS buffer solution was monitored through time course of the reflectivity change at a constant incident angle, where the waveguide mode was excited. As compared with conventional SPR system using a gold surface, high sensitive detection of the specific adsorption was achieved. Additionally, we fabricated micro-patterned arrays of biotinyl-end layers onto the SiOx waveguide surface by micro-contact printing. Then we observed the specific adsorption behavior on the micro-patterned arrays by the imaging based on the waveguide mode using a CCD camera.

We are investigating well-ordered highly crystalline thin films made using organic molecular beam deposition (OMBD) since it is important to control the formation mechanism at the initial growth process. Then, we developed a new in situ technique of energy dispersive grazing incidence X-ray diffraction utilized within an ultrahigh vacuum system. This technique (in situ ED-GID) makes it possible to examine the crystal structure, orientation and morphology of organic thin films during deposition without any damage to the film. In the present review, we examined the growth process of thin films of functional organic dyes, fullerene (C60) and p-sexiphenyl (6P) by using this in situ ED-GID. The crystal strucutre and molecular orientation in epitaxially-grown thin films were confirmed during the initial stages of growth. Also, the morphology of C60 thin films was examined during the deposition. As a result, it was confirmed that the decay curves of X-ray fluorescence indicate different island growth in C60 thin films.

Fine molecular straw, carbon nanotube (NT) is aligned to form a bundle. The purified NTs are mixed with a plastic polymer (polypropylene: PP) and extruded from a small die with a diameter of 2 mm kept at 200°C. The threads of NT/PP blend are characterized by small angle X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscope to confirm the existence of nanobundle of NTs, which orient along the spinning direction.

Fullerene C60 thin solid films have been fabricated on the (001) surfaces of alkali halides (NaCl, KCI and KBr) and muscovite by organic molecular beam deposition (OMBD) technique. Pure C60 powder was sublimated from the precisely temperature-controlled K-cell at low pressure (10−7 Torr) and deposited onto the substrates kept in the range 125 –300 °C. Increasing both the temperature of K-cell and the substrate temperature, fine crystals grow with different size, shape and distance between neighbors. The dependence of the size and density of island crystals on the deposition conditions revealed the mechanism of crystal growth and the effect of interaction between molecules and substrate surface.

Purification process to obtain nanotubes out of the cathode product mostly including fragments of graphitic sheet and/or amorphous carbon has been established. Structures and electronic properties of carbon nanotubes were studied. By the Raman scattering measurement, only one peak at 1581 cm−1 akin to that of graphite was found out. It was confirmed by STM observation of purified nanotubes. Purified nanotubes was semiconductor or semimetal.