Manipulation of organic “needles” using an STM operated under SEM control

Nano-sized P4P (para-quaterphenylene) organic crystallites grown on a gold substrate were removed and redeposited using the tip of an STM. The controlled lift-off of the needle-shaped crystallites was imaged by a simultaneously operated SEM. The forces exerted by the metal STM tip on the nano-crystal during this nano-manipulation process could be determined by monitoring the deflection of the STM tip. After the lift-off process the former contact area was imaged using the STM. These STM micrographs clearly demonstrate that the region between the needles is covered by a P4P layer with a thickness of at least 3 nm.     

Selective analysis of molecular states by functionalized scanning tunneling microscopy tips

Selective analysis of molecular states in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has so far been achieved in a few cases by tuning the bias range of the STM in high-resolution measurements. Correspondingly, perylene adsorbed in a close-packed monolayer on Ag(110) is imaged mainly through the pi states of the molecule. By contrast, functionalizing the STM tip with a perylene molecule leads to a mismatch between the energy levels of the STM tip and the molecule adsorbates and, instead, images only the metal states of the underlying silver surface. The observation opens a route for better energy selectivity in electron transport measurements through organic interfaces.     

Nanoscale imaging of electronic surface transport probed by atom movements induced by scanning tunneling microscope current

The hopping movements of Cl atoms on a Si(111)-(7 x 7) surface that are enhanced by an electron injection from tips of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) exhibit a spatial spread from the electron injection point with an anisotropic distribution. The enhanced hopping effect becomes greatest at a sample bias voltage being resonant with the Si-Cl antibonding states and also exhibits an oscillatory decay with the distance from the injection point characterized by the wavelength depending on the bias voltage. All of these facts can be interpreted in terms of the coherent expansion of the electron wave packets locally formed at the STM tip.     

Bias dependence of apparent layer thickness and Moiré pattern on NaCl/Cu(001)

Bias-dependent features of the insulating NaCl layer grown on Cu(001) have been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS). The apparent layer thickness of the NaCl film is variable at bias voltages ranging from 2.8 to 3.2 V as well as from 4.0 to 5.0 V, and the Moiré pattern induced by NaCl–Cu lattice mismatch also shows bias dependence. The z–V (dz/dV–V) curves and dI/dV mapping measurements reveal that the resonant tunneling between the image potential states (IPSs) on Cu(001) and the Fermi level of the STM tip leads to drastic variations of these features.     

Preparing and regulating a bi-stable molecular switch by atomic manipulation

We present a scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) investigation into the influence of the STM tip on the adsorption site switching of polychlorinatedbiphenyl (PCB) molecules on the Si(111)-7?×?7 surface at room temperature. From an initially stable adsorption configuration, atomic manipulation by charge injection from the STM tip prepared a new bi-stable configuration that switched between two bonding arrangements. No switching rate bias dependence was found for +?1.0 to +?2.2?V. Assuming a thermally driven switching process we find that the measured energy barriers to switching are influenced by the exact location of the STM tip by more than 10%. We propose that this energy difference is due the dispersion interaction between the tip and the molecule.     

Scanning tunneling microscopy with spin-polarized electrons

We present a short outline of the first STM experiments with spin-polarized electrons performed in ultrahigh vacuum by using ferromagnetic CrO₂ tips and a Cr(001) single crystal surface. A clear distinction can be made between topographic STM line scans obtained with a non-magnetic tungsten tip and those obtained with a ferromagnetic CrO₂ tip, which are modified due to an additional contribution from spin-dependent vacuum tunneling. STM therefore has the potential to measure the local electron spin polarization of the free surface as well as the spatial distribution of spins on the atomic scale.     

Signature of tip electronic states on tunneling spectra

The influence of STM tip electronic states on the electron transport through an atomic object on a surface is studied both experimentally and theoretically. We present scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) experimental results on Ag islands with two, blunt and sharp, STM tips. The data taken with the sharp tip have an additional peak at positive bias which corresponds to the tip apex atom state. We show that sudden tip sharpness variation and corresponding I(V) characteristic change may help to differentiate between electronic states of the tip and the sample. The experimental data are discussed and compared with theoretical calculations performed for two different tips. The current and differential conductance calculations are carried out by means of the Green's function technique and a tight-binding Hamiltonian.     

第一过渡金属酞菁分子的电子结构的第一性原理计算

对第一过渡金属酞菁化合物(Metal Phthalocyanine,MPc,M=Sc,Ti,V,Cr,Mn,Fe,Co,Ni和Cu)的电子结构和基本物理化学性质进行了第一性原理计算.理论模拟出来的STM图像表现出亚分子结构,与已有的实验观察结果相当吻合,且跟金属原子的d电子组态明显有关.在小偏压条件下,第一过渡金属首尾端ScPc,NiPc和CuPc分子的中央金属离子在STM图像表现为空洞,其他所有金属酞菁分子的中央金属离子均为亮斑.同时还研究了ScPc和NiPc分子的STM图像与偏压的关系,当针尖偏压分别 关键词： STM图像模拟 金属酞菁 电子结构     

外电场下STM钨针尖电子结构的理论研究

采用离散变分局域密度泛函方法，研究了外电场对钨(111)面针尖电子结构的影响.详细计算和分析了在不同偏压和距离条件下，钨针尖的隧道激活轨道和电荷分布.研究结果表明：隧道激活轨道中针尖原子的成分对外偏压的极性、大小以及针尖与样品之间的距离都较敏感.与过去理论计算结果不同，钨针尖原子的5d_z²轨道对隧道激活轨道有一定贡献，但并不是最主要的.在加正偏压时对隧道激活轨道贡献最大的为5d_xz和5d_yz轨道，而在加负偏压时则为包括 关键词：     

A scanning tunnelling microscopy investigation of gold island formation from an octanethiol self-assembled monolayer on Au(1 1 1)

The release of gold atoms from an octanethiol monolayer on Au(1 1 1) and the subsequent formation of single-layer-high gold islands have been investigated using a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) in air. When the bias voltage between the STM tip and the sample is above the threshold for water electrolysis, reactive desorption of the thiol molecules takes place leading to the release of gold adatoms. The number of released atoms has been evaluated as a function of exposure to the tip current under both positive and negative bias voltages. Tip-induced ripening of the gold islands, and more interestingly, tip-induced disintegration of small islands are observed.     

Photon mapping of MgO thin films with an STM

The light emission from an STM junction consisting of an MgO thin film on Mo(0 0 1) and an Au tip is analyzed with respect to its spatial distribution for various excitation conditions. The spectral characteristic of the light is compatible with an emission mechanism mediated by tip-induced plasmons that are excited by inelastic electron tunneling involving field-emission resonances in the tip-sample gap. The dependence of field-emission resonances on the MgO work function allows the controlled stimulation of differently thick oxide islands in the photon maps by changing the sample bias.     

Organized molecular assemblies for scanning probe microscope lithography

Nanostructures down to a few ten nanometers in size have been fabricated with Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) using scanning probe microscope lithography. The SAMs have been prepared with organosilane and bipolar amphiphiles, alkanethiol molecules as ultrathin resists on Si and Au substrates. The LB films on silicon substrates using both the polymer of thiophene derivatives and the mixture of palmitic acid and hexadecylamine were prepared and fabricated. The effect of functional groups of molecules on the atomic force microscope (AFM) anodization has been studied in the optimized process conditions. Applied voltage between the AFM tip and sample, the scanning speed and the relative humidity in the laboratory are also important factors for nanometer-scale lithography of the ultrathin films. The STM lithography with an octadecanethiol SAM on Au film in the air was carried out at the pulse mode of tip bias with respect to the suitability of STM lithography. The high structural orderness and perfect thickness of ultrathin organic molecular assemblies are the major advantages as required for nanoscale lithography.     

Bistability in scanning tunneling spectroscopy of Ga-terminated Si(111)

Bistable electron transport, a phenomenon usually associated with double-barrier structures, has been observed with a conventional STM junction formed between a metal tip and a Ga-terminated Si(111) surface at 77 K. Large hysteresis loops appear in the current-voltage characteristics when electrons are injected from the tip to the surface. The turn-on bias varies from -3.1 to -4.0 V and shows an inverse dependence on the tip-sample distance, indicating a strong field effect. The turn-off bias, however, is essentially pinned at a conductance threshold of -2.7 V.     

Optical selection rules in light emission from the scanning tunneling microscope

It is reported that optical selection rules still apply in light emission from the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Linear polarization of isochromat light emitted from the tunneling gap between a STM tip made of tungsten (W) and a silicon (Si) sample with a (001) clean surface strongly depends on the bias voltage between tip and sample. The results show that pi* and sigma* surface states, for example, of the Si(001) sample contribute to emission of p- and s-polarized light, respectively, in accordance with optical selection rules.     

STM investigations of local potential barrier dist ribution of the atomic surface of graphite

To modulate the tunneling gap with the lock-in amplifier in the scanning tunneling microscopy(STM), information of the tunneling current variation can be obtained. The local potential barrier distribution of graphite surface atoms is got by means of such technology. Compared with STM image under topography observation mode, the local potential barrier image has higher resolu tion and less influence on the tip and better anti-interference capability. Obs erved results of the graphite are given and discussed in this paper.     

Image potential states mediated STM imaging of cobalt phthalocyanine on NaCl/Cu(100)

The adsorption and electronic properties of isolated cobalt phthalocyanine(Co Pc) molecule on an ultrathin layer of NaCl have been investigated. High-resolution STM images give a detailed picture of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital(LUMO) of an isolated CoPc. It is shown that the Na Cl ultrathin layer efficiently decouples the interaction of the molecules from the underneath metal substrate, which makes it an ideal substrate for studying the properties of single molecules. Moreover, strong dependence of the appearance of the molecules on the sample bias in the region of relatively high bias( 3.1 V) is ascribed to the image potential states(IPSs) of NaCl/Cu(100), which may provide us with a possible method to fabricate quantum storage devices.     

STM-induced photon emission spectroscopy of granular gold surfaces in air

Light emission has been detected under ambient conditions in the tip–sample region of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) consisting of an etched gold tip and a granular gold film. The photon yield as a function of surface geometry (photon mapping) has been studied. By means of STM, it was possible to measure photon emission spectra locally. We have studied the effect of grain size and applied bias voltage on the spectrum. We found that the peak position in the photon emission spectrum shifts to a shorter wavelength when increasing the bias voltage and shifts to a longer wavelength when tunneling to larger grains. These effects can be understood in a simple model which considers tunneling electrons exciting localized surface plasmons which decay by emitting photons.     

STM tip-enhanced photoluminescence from porphyrin film

Tunneling electrons-induced molecular fluorescence in organic film is enhanced by the surface plasmons. The plasmon enhancement can be expected not only by the plasmons of the substrate but also by the noble metal tip of scanning tunneling microscope (STM). In this report we investigate the tip effect in photoluminescence of meso-tetrakis(3,5-di-tertiarybutyl-phenyl)porphyrin (H₂TBPP) film on indium tin oxide (ITO) combined with a STM. The experimental result shows the PL of molecules is enhanced by an Ag tip. This enhancement factor is evaluated larger than 2000.     

STM钨针尖的制备

设计了STM钨针尖制备电路,可实现纳秒级快速断电.采用粗、细腐蚀流程,可以保证针尖低纵横比,同时减少其表面附着的氧化膜杂质.对针尖进行稀盐酸超声清洗,可以彻底去除针尖的氧化层.该针尖经盐酸超声后再进行STM扫描得到了清晰的高序热解石墨图像.     

Modulation structure in the STM images of the non-metallic misfit-layer compound (PbS)1.12VS2

This paper presents the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) results of the misfit-layer compound (PbS)_1.12VS₂, which is constructed of alternately stacking of PbS (Q) and VS₂ (H) layers. Temperature dependent resistivity measurements show a semiconducting behavior with small activation energies. Unlike the metallic 1Q/1H type of compounds we have succeeded to take both the STM images of a Q layer and a H layer, because electron tunneling from the underlying H layer is suppressed when intermediate positive bias voltage (V_b) is applied to a tip. At V_b = 0.15 V the image shows pseudo-tetragonal arrays of bright spots, although it is obscure with decreasing bias voltage and disappears at less than 10 mV. A modulation structure is found on the H layer of a stepped surface on which surface atoms are undulated in a period being twice the V-V interatomic distance in the [1 0]_H or the [1 1]_H direction.