The transport and switching of Xe atoms on the Ni-W interface of a scanning tunnelling microscope

Summary The transport and switch of Xe atoms on the Ni-W interface of a scanning tunnelling microscope have been analysed for different geometries as a function of the tip position with respect to the Ni(110) surface. Our results show that the control of the different experimental results can only be achieved by a precise control of the position of the tip on the sample. In particular, the tip-sample Xe switch can only be obtained within tip heights of 0.2?. In honour of Prof. Fausto Fumi on the occasion of his retirement from teaching.     

Scanning probe microscopy study of exfoliated oxidized graphene sheets

Exfoliated oxidized graphene (OG) sheets, suspended in an aqueous solution, were deposited on freshly cleaved HOPG and studied by ambient AFM and UHV STM. The AFM images revealed oxidized graphene sheets with a lateral dimension of 5–10 μm. The oxidized graphene sheets exhibited different thicknesses and were found to conformally coat the HOPG substrate. Wrinkles and folds induced by the deposition process were clearly observed. Phase imaging and lateral force microscopy showed distinct contrast between the oxidized graphene and the underlying HOPG substrate. The UHV STM studies of oxidized graphene revealed atomic scale periodicity showing a (0.273 ± 0.008) nm × (0.406 ± 0.013) nm unit cell over distances spanning few nanometers. This periodicity is identified with oxygen atoms bound to the oxidized graphene sheet. I(V) data were taken from oxidized graphene sheets and compared to similar data obtained from bulk HOPG. The dI/dV data from oxidized graphene reveals a reduction in the local density of states for bias voltages in the range of ±0.1 V.     

原子力与光子扫描隧道组合显微镜

介绍了超高分辨光于扫描隧遭显微镜（PSTM）的计冗历程,为解决第一代（单光束照明）光千扫捕隧逼显傲镜中存在人为假象和样品光学图像与形貌图像难于分离两个难题,用“对称双光束照明方法消假象,用原子力与光子扫描隧道组合显微镜（AF／PSTM）图像分解方法分离样品光学透过率、折射率与形貌图像。研制成功新一代原子力与光子扫描隧道组合显微镜（AF／PSTM）样机。该样机在一次扫描中已获得两幅原子力显微镜图像（形貌与相位）和两幅光学图像（透过率和折射率）,有效地减少了假象,分解了样品光学折射率、透过率与形貌图像。     

Probing dynamics of a phase transition of two-dimensional nano-domains with STM imaging and manipulation

A reversible, temperature-driven structural surface phase transition of Pb/Si(1 1 1) nano-domains is studied with a variable-temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Finite-size effects of the transition are clearly demonstrated. Most importantly, structural fluctuations in the low-temperature phase can be induced by the direct interaction between the tip atoms and the surface atoms. The structural changes reveal dynamics in the low-temperature phase. Amazingly, the largest size of the domains that can be manipulated decreases with decreasing sample temperature.     

Current-distance-voltage characteristics of electron tunneling through an electrochemical STM junction

We have studied the electron tunneling process through an electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopic (STM) junction formed by a gold tip and a gold electrode immersed in an inert NaClO₄ solution. Current-distance-voltage characteristics of the tunneling process are examined by simultaneous measurement of tunneling current, voltage, and distance. The results indicate that the tunneling voltage across the junction changes with tunneling distance; however, tunneling conductance is an inverse exponential function of distance over the entire investigated range of tunneling current, voltage, and distance. The results provide clear evidence for the validity of a one-dimensional tunneling model for the aqueous tunneling process. Implications of the observation are mentioned with regard to the distance-dependent STM imaging and the origin of a low tunneling barrier height.     

Epitaxial structures of self-organized, standing-up pentacene thin films studied by LEEM and STM

Growth of pentacene (Pn) thin films has been studied in situ by means of low-energy electron microscopy (LEEM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). A very low nucleation density of Pn grains has been observed on Bi(0 0 0 1)/Si(1 1 1) template, resulting in formation of large, monolayer-high Pn grains with diameter exceeding several hundreds of micrometers. We determined that formation of self-organized, standing-up Pn epitaxial layers was stabilized by a weak interaction between the substrate and Pn molecules and by the presence of the commensurate structure between the oblique Pn lattice and trigonal substrate surface lattice. The ‘point-on-line’ commensurability has been found along a-axis of Pn and one of the primitive vectors of substrate surface lattice. Strong ‘point-on-line’ commensurability in Pn/Bi(0 0 0 1)/Si(1 1 1) system resulted in a bulk-like epitaxial thin film growth, starting from the first layer. The presence of twins, often having a mirror line parallel to the direction of the ‘point-on-line’ matching, has been also detected using an asymmetric dark-field imaging mode in LEEM experiments, which, we believe, is the first LEEM demonstration of molecular tilt imaging.     

扫描电镜图像去噪的研究与实现

扫描电镜能直观观察样品的表面结构,但其高分辨形貌成像图固有的噪声不利于图像分析。针对集成电路器件扫描电镜成像图的去噪声问题,采用了通过滑动条方式自适应设置图像二值化阈值,将数学形态学处理方法与图像二值化相结合,实现了对图像噪声的自动去除处理;同时还设计了通过手动勾勒图像中的多边形区域实现去除噪声的功能;为使图像达到更好的效果,系统还可允许针对自动去噪后的图像自行选择是否进行手动去噪,并设计实现了风格直观简洁,易于操作的交互式用户界面。对多幅集成电路器件扫描电镜成像图进行去噪声处理的结果和对去噪前后的图像进行无参考图像质量评价的数据表明,该方法有效地改善了扫描电镜图的信噪比,获得了突出前景等有用信息。     

A mechanism for cutting carbon nanotubes with a scanning tunneling microscope

We discuss the local cutting of single-walled carbon nanotubes by a voltage pulse to the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope. The tip voltage ( V) is the key physical quantity in the cutting process. After reviewing several possible physical mechanisms we conclude that the cutting process relies on the weakening of the carbon-carbon bonds through a combination of localized particle-hole excitations induced by inelastically tunneling electrons and elastic deformation due to the electric field between tip and sample. The carbon network releases part of the induced mechanical stress by forming topological defects that act as nucleation centers for the formation of dislocations that dynamically propagate towards bond-breaking. Received 6 April 2000     

Theoretical study of the structural properties of SiC(001)—Si-terminated surface and the formation of its STM images

We present theoretical study of structural and electronic properties of SiC(001)-p(2 × 1)-Si-terminated surface and the formation of its STM images. Ab initio calculations independently performed with the use of plane-wave and local-orbital basis have shown that the structure of this surface is built up by long symmetric silicon dimers, which agrees with the results of previous ab initio studies done by other authors. STM simulations show that the variation of the tunneling current along substrate surface very well reproduces the localization properties of occupied and unoccupied surface states (π, π*). We have found that the tensile stress applied along dimers axis causes the buckling of surface dimers and transfer of the charge between dimers atoms. This result suggests that the buckling of silicon surface dimers observed in LEED measurements might be caused by external stress. Presented at the X-th Symposium on Suface Physics, Prague, Czech Republic, July 11–15, 2005.     

Migration-enhanced epitaxy (MEE) growth of five-layer asymmetric coupled quantum well (FACQW) and its cross-sectional STM observation

The five-layer asymmetric coupled quantum well (FACQW) is a new potential-tailored quantum well that is promising for ultra-fast and ultra-low-voltage optical modulators and switches. FACQW samples were grown by the migration-enhanced epitaxy (MEE) and the conventional molecular beam epitaxy methods with steep and flat heterointerfaces in the monolayer accuracy. They were characterized with the cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). In the cross-sectional STM image, double-stripe structures with different contrast were observed. The stripe area corresponds to the FACQW (about 10 nm wide), sandwiched with the AlGaAs barrier layers (15 nm wide). A dark line observed at the middle of the FACQW stripe area corresponds to the 3-monolayer-thick AlAs layer. The cross-sectional STM images of the high-quality heterointerface FACQW structures were successfully observed for the samples grown by the MEE method. More detailed studies of this kind of cross-sectional STM observations will be very effective to obtain the optimized growth conditions for fine and complicated ultra-thin structures.     

Si衬底上生长的MnSi薄膜和MnSi1．7纳米线的STM和XPS分析

本文采用分子束外延方法制备出MnSi薄膜和MnSi1．7纳米线,利用扫描隧道显微镜进行观察,采用X射线光电子能谱仪系统地分析了MnSi薄膜和MnSi1．7纳米线的Mn2p和Si2p．结果表明厚度为-0．9nm的MnSi薄膜表面为／3×／3重构,MnSi1．7纳米线长50ff--1500nm,宽16—18nm,高-3nm．MnSi薄膜的Mn2p1／2和Mn2p3／2峰位与MnSil．7纳米线相同,均分别为649．7eV和638．7ev结合能在640-645eV和-653．8eV处的锰氧化合物的Mn2ps／2和Mn2p1／2峰证明在短暂暴露于空气中后MnSi薄膜和MnSi1．7纳米线表面有氧化层形成．相对于纯si的si2p谱,两种锰硅化合物的Si2p谱向低结合能方向发生了位移,表明随着锰硅化合物的形成Si的化学环境发生了变化．     

Phase transition of thiophene molecules on Au(1 1 1) in solution

The orientation and packing arrangement of thiophene molecules on a well-defined Au(1 1 1) surface in 0.1 M HClO₄ solution have been investigated as a function of applied potentials by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and electrochemical method. Thiophene molecules are found to form highly ordered adlayers in the double layer region. High-resolution STM images reveal different adlayer structures. Thiophene molecules take flat-lying and vertical orientation at 0.3 and 0.6 V, respectively. Compared with the results of electrochemical measurement, we concluded that the phase transition of thiophene on Au(1 1 1) occurs as the potential is changed between 0.1 and 0.65 V.     

Heisenberg, uncertainty, and the scanning tunneling microscope

We show by a statistical analysis of high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments, that the interpretation of the density of electron charge as a statistical quantity leads to a conflict with the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Given the precision in these experiments we find that the uncertainty principle would be violated by close to two orders of magnitude, if this interpretation were correct. We are thus forced to conclude that the density of electron charge is a physically real, i.e., in principle precisely measurable quantity.     

利用扫描近场红外显微镜对化学样品组分进行成像研究

介绍了用北京自由电子激光为光源的扫描近场红外显微镜对化学样品组分进行的成像研究，通过所得到的近场微区图像，可以对样品在微区范围内的成分组成，混合的均匀程度等作出比较清晰的判断. 关键词： 自由电子激光 近场光学 扫描近场红外显微镜     

Electron stimulated desorption induced by the scanning tunneling microscope

The use of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) as an excitation source and a probe of electron stimulated desorption on the atomic scale is reviewed. The case of H desorption from H-terminated Si(001) is examined in detail. Experimental results on excitation thresholds, desorption cross-sections, isotope effects and site-selectivities are presented. Evidence for mechanisms involving direct electronic and hot ground-state desorption, as well as a novel multiple-vibrational excitation mechanism is discussed. Using the latter mechanism, the ultimate resolution limit of selective single atom desorption is achieved. New results on desorption from Si dihydride, including a proposed mechanism for the STM-induced H/Si(001)-3 × 1 to 2 × 1 conversion, are presented. Possible applications of STM-induced desorption in nanofabrication are considered.     

Coulomb correlations and shapes of XPS spectra of ferromagnetic Fe−Ni alloys

Summary The effect of the Coulomb correlations in partially filled valenced-bands has been considered by computing the renormalized valence band spectra for alloys having Fe concentrations of 20% and 50%, according to a recently proposed approximate theory. In order to have a comparison with experimental data, the XPS valence band shape has been measured for the same concentrations. The experimental widths and shapes of the bands turn out to be well reproduced by the theory. An account of this work has been given at the ?International Conference on Solid Films and Surfaces?, held in Sydney in 1984, and will be published in the Conference Proceedings (1985).     

Optical properties,structure and electronic energy levels of the organicN-methyl, 2,3 diphenyl, 5-methyl indole compound

Summary The absorption properties of the new synthetized organicN-methyl, 2,3 diphenyl, 5-methyl indole compound have been studied. An X-ray diffraction analysis has been carried out in order to obtain the structural properties and the density of the material. Optical absorption spectra have been interpreted on the basis of a CNDO calculation of the energy levels. The results show a good agreement between theory and experiment. Work partially supported by Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione through CNR-CISM.     

Tip-induced distortions in STM imaging of carbon nanotubes

By means of STM measurements and fully self-consistent transport calculations we analyze how STM trajectories for the mapping of nanostructures on surfaces are affected by the atomic structure of the tip. For the particular case of carbon nanotubes we show that considerable distortions of the STM trajectory with respect to the actual structure, position and diameter of the nanotube can occur for certain tip geometries. Comparison between theory and experiment can allow to characterize and correct these distortions.