Defect formation of Au thin films on SiO2/Si upon annealing

We have studied structural changes of Au film surfaces grown on Si with native oxide layers. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we found that annealing above 200°C can cause formation of defects (or cracks), which is most likely driven by interdiffusion of Au and Si accompanying strong Au–Si interactions at the interface regime. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) study is also in line with defect formation upon annealing. Interaction of O₂ with rough Au surfaces is discussed in connection with catalytic activities of Au surfaces.     

tetracene 分子在Ru(1010)表面的吸附结构及其电子态研究

利用紫外光电子能谱(UPS)、角分辨紫外光电子能谱(ARUPS)和扫描隧道显微镜(STM)等方法研究了tetracene分子在Ru(1010)表面上吸附的电子态，吸附位置和吸附取向.UPS实验显示，与tetracene分子有关的光电子谱峰在费米能级以下2.1, 3.5, 4.8, 6.0, 7.1和9.2 eV处；ARUPS 结果表明，tetracene分子的分子平面基本平行于衬底表面；从STM图像中可以看到tetracene分子的长轴沿［0001］和［1210］两个晶向.基于密度泛函理论的从头算计算证实了上述结论.当分子长轴沿［0001］晶向时，分子中心位置在衬底表面的“短桥位”上，当分子长轴沿［1210］晶向时，分子中心位置在衬底表面的“四原子中心空位”上. 关键词： tetracene分子 Ru(1010)表面 吸附结构 吸附电子态     

Imaging of ferroelectric vinylidene fluoride and trifluoroethylene copolymer films by scanning tunneling microscopy

In this paper, we reported the possibility to image non-conducting P(VDF-TrFE) copolymer films by STM. The films had the thickness of ∼25.0 nm and were spin-coated onto Au or graphite substrates. For films deposited on Au substrates, STM images showed grain structures of ∼100 nm, much larger than the grains of bare Au substrate. With increased scan rate, the film surface was damaged by STM tip and extreme protrusions and holes were observed. For films deposited on graphite substrates, we only obtained an image of very flat plane and could not observe the topography of the film surface. It seemed that the tip had pierced through the uppermost P(VDF-TrFE) layers and only imaged the layers nearest to the substrate. Asymmetrical current-voltage curves were observed from copolymer films deposited on HOPG. Experimental results were discussed.     

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.     

Investigation of the electronic properties of Au nanoclusters in SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> by combined scanning tunneling/atomic force microscopy

The tunneling of electrons through Au nanoc lusters formed by pulsed laser deposition in a SiO₂ thin film on a Si substrate has been investigated by combined scanning/atomic force microscopy (STM/AFM). Conducting Pt-coated Si cantilevers were used. The feedback was maintained via the AFM channel, and the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the tunnel contact between the AFM probe and the n ⁺-Si substrate through a =4-nm-thick SiO₂ film with Au nanoclusters =2 nm in diameter were measured simultaneously. The current image of the structure contained areas of increased current (tunnel-current channels) 2–15 nm in size, related to tunneling of electrons through Au nanoclusters in SiO₂. The I-V characteristics recorded in the tunnel-current channels exhibit specific features related to the Coulomb blockade of electron tunneling through Au nanoclusters.     

The structure of ordered Au films on TiOx

The growth of Au on an ultra-thin, ordered Mo(1 1 2)-(8 × 2)-TiO_x, was investigated using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low energy ion scattering spectroscopy (LEISS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and temperature programmed desorption (TPD). Wetting of the TiO_x surface by Au was observed with STM and LEISS, and the ordering of the Au films was atomically resolved with STM. TPD showed that Au binds more strongly to the reduced TiO_x film than to bulk TiO₂, but more weakly than to the Mo substrate. The Au-TiO_x binding energy is greater than Au-Au in bulk Au. The oxidation state of Ti in the TiO_x film was deduced by XPS and from the Ti-O phonon shifts relative to bulk TiO₂. The TiO_x/Mo(1 1 2) film structure and those for the (1 × 1)- and (1 × 3)-Au/TiO_x/Mo(1 1 2) surfaces are discussed.     

Time-resolved STM light emission from an evaporated Au film

STM (scanning tunneling microscope) light emission from an evaporated Au film irradiated by pico second laser pulses has been investigated for various bias voltages of the STM. The observed emission consists of two components. The first component that has the same duration as the incident laser pulse is excited by laser induced tunneling electrons. The second component that has a longer duration than that of the laser pulse is emitted from surface polariton plasmons excited non-linearly by the laser pulse.     

Au表面等离子体激元激发的扫描探针电子能谱

结合扫描隧道显微镜（STM）与电子能谱仪是实现表面微区元素分析的途径之一．我们将环形电子能量分析器和三维扫描探针系统相结合,建立了一台扫描探针电子能谱仪(SPEES)．通过测量针尖近场发射束流激发的Au表面能量损失谱,我们用研究了Au原子的等离子体激元激发现象．进一步通过改变针尖－样品距离,我们研究了Au等离子体激元峰与弹性散射峰的强度比随针尖－样品距离变化的关系．研究结果发现该强度比与针尖－样品距离的关系并不是单调变化,而是在一个特定位置存在极大．     

局域功函数图像及其在Cu(111)-Au/Pd表面的应用

用扫描隧道显微镜（STM）对Cu(111)-Au和Cu(111)-Pd表面的局域功函数进行了研究.通过 测量隧道电流对针尖样品间距的响应，得到了与STM形貌图一一对应的表面局域功函数图像. 实验发现，Au/Pd覆盖层和Cu衬底间的功函数有明显的不同.Pd薄膜的功函数甚至超过了其体 本征值，且功函数在台阶处变小.用偶极子的形成解释了台阶处功函数的降低.这一工作表明 ，用测量局域功函数的方法容易区分表面上不同的元素，并具有纳米尺度的空间分辨率. 关键词： 扫描隧道显微镜 局域功函数 台阶     

Two-dimensional nanoscale self-assembly on a gold surface by spinodal decomposition

The structure formation upon spinodal decomposition of a two-dimensional model system, a Au adatom gas on a Au(111) surface, was observed in situ by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). A thermodynamically unstable state was prepared by applying microsecond voltage pulses to the STM tip in an electrochemical system, causing the random dissolution of Au atoms from the uppermost monolayer. Interconnected, labyrinthine island patterns were formed at Au coverages between 0.4 and 0.9 monolayer with dominating length scales lambda(m) of the order of a few nanometers.     

Deposition of metal clusters on single-layer graphene/Ru(0001): Factors that govern cluster growth

Fabrication of nanoclusters on a substrate is of great interest in studies of model catalysts. The key factors that govern the growth and distribution of metal on graphene have been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) based on different behaviors of five transition metals, namely Pt, Rh, Pd, Co, and Au supported on the template of a graphene moiré pattern formed on Ru(0001). Our experimental findings show that Pt and Rh form finely dispersed small clusters located at fcc sites on graphene while Pd and Co form large clusters at similar coverages. These results, coupled with previous findings that Ir forms the best finely dispersed clusters, suggest that both metal–carbon (M–C) bond strength and metal cohesive energies play significant roles in the cluster formation process and that the M–C bond strength is the most important factor that affects the morphology of clusters at the initial stages of growth. Furthermore, experimental results show Au behaves differently and forms a single-layer film on graphene, indicating other factors such as the effect of substrate metals and lattice match should also be considered. In addition, the effect of annealing Rh on graphene has been studied and its high thermal stability is rationalized in terms of a strong interaction between Rh and graphene as well as sintering via Ostwald ripening.     

Selective imaging of self-assembled monolayers by tunneling microscopy

The properties of thin organic films offer many challenging opportunities for science and technology. A crucial requirement for the advancement of molecular film technology is the selective characterization and modification on an atomic level. Local proximal probes like Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) or Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) bear certainly the potential for this purpose. So far, however, mainly adsorbed organic molecules lying flat on a smooth substrate have been imaged with near atomic resolution. Here, we demonstrate the ability of STM to selectively image self-assembled monolayers of long-chain molecules (hexanethiol) oriented upright on the substrate Au(111) with molecular resolution. Upon proper choice of the tunneling parameters we can image the molecular head-group anchored at the substrate and/or the molecular tail group.     

Surface electromigration of Au ultrathin film on MoS2

The mass transport of Au ultrathin film on a semiconductor MoS₂ was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning Auger microscopy (SAM). The surface electromigration of the Au film was found when a dc current was passed through the MoS₂ substrate. The Au ultrathin film on MoS₂ grew in a typical Volmer–Weber (V–W) growth mode, The AFM measurements indicated that the distribution of the Au islands exhibited clearly a preferential lateral spread towards the cathode, that is, the surface electromigration took place. The direction of the surface electromigration on MoS₂ is opposite to that of the Au electromigration on Si.     

Tetracene film morphology: Comparative atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and ellipsometry investigations

X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry were used to study tetracene thin films as a function of deposition rate. A comparative analysis of the thickness and roughness values allows for detailed modelling of the film morphology. An interdigitated growth mode is established for the coexisting thin film and bulk phases. By comparison with the respective quinone-derivative of tetracene, we were additionally able to identify reaction products by their optical response.     

Metal clusters on rare gas layers – growth and spectroscopy

Gold and lead clusters were grown by the evaporation of metal atoms on rare gas layers on Au(111) and Pb(111). The growth was investigated with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). We studied the electronic coupling to the surface and charging effects in the photoemission process. For a rare gas film thickness of 60 ML we observed an electronic decoupling: the cluster spectra are no longer referenced to the Fermi edge, but to the vacuum energy of the substrate. For Pb clusters on a Au(111) substrate this leads to the remarkable result of a cluster-photoelectron signal above the Fermi energy defined by the ground level of the sample holder. PACS 33.60.Cv; 36.40.Mr; 68.37.Ef; 61.46.+w; 73.22.-f     

Self-assembly of zwitterionic molecules on a Au(23 23 21) surface at low temperature

The adsorption of zwitterionic (E) 4-methoxy-4′-(3-n-sulfonatopropyl)stilbazolium (MSPS) molecules on the stepped vicinal Au(23 23 21) surface was studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at low temperature as a function of the molecular coverage. At the sub-half monolayer, a supramolecular network based on MSPS is preferentially adsorbed onto face-centered cubic stacking regions. At the monolayer, a complete periodic supramolecular film is obtained.     

Photoemission, NEXAFS and STM studies of pentacene thin films on Au(1 0 0)

We have investigated the initial stages of the growth of pentacene thin films on the Au(1 0 0) substrate using synchrotron radiation photoelectron spectroscopy (PES), near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) and scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). Results indicate a well-ordered structure with the pentacene molecules adopting a predominantly flat orientation with respect to the substrate for coverages of less than three monolayers. NEXAFS and photoemission data indicates the presence of a second molecular orientation for thicker films, with the introduction of a slight tilting away from planar bonding geometry at higher pentacene coverages. STM images of coverages less than three monolayers indicate a well-ordered pentacene structure allowing for the calculation of pentacene unit cell parameters. The pentacene molecular rows adopt a side-by-side bonding arrangement on the surface. For pentacene deposited at room temperature, step edges were observed to act as nucleation centres for film growth. Annealing of the substrate to 373 K was found to remove excess molecules and improve film quality, but did not otherwise change the bonding geometry of the pentacene with respect to the surface.     

Investigation of ultra-thin and flexible Au–Ag–Au transparent conducting electrode

The performance of ultra-thin Au–Ag–Au tri-layer film deposited thermally over a flexible substrate is investigated using structural, optical, mechanical and electrical-transport measurements. The optimum total thickness of the tri-layer for high transparency and conductivity is determined to be around 8 nm using a theoretical model. The Au–Ag–Au tri-layer shows maximum transmittance (≅ 62%) at wavelength 500 nm. XRD pattern shows peak corresponding to (111) plane of Au and/or Ag. Sheet resistance (≅ 10.42 Ω/□) measured at 300 K using four probe technique is stable up to 150 °C. Hall effect measurements show high conductivity (1.34 × 10⁵ (Ω cm)⁻¹), carrier concentration (2.48 × 10²³/cm³), and mobility (3.4 cm²/Vs). Scotch tape test confirms good adhesion of the film onto PET substrate. Bending-twisting tests using an indigenous apparatus indicate high resistance-stability even after 50,000 cycles. These results imply the viability of Au–Ag–Au tri-layer film as a transparent conducting electrode worth exploring for optoelectronic applications.     

Ion beam induced formation and interrogation of Au nanoclusters

Low-energy ion bombardment of a Au thin film by 0.5 keV Ar+ forms self-organized nanoclusters that display quantum size effects. The reduction of Au coverage with sputtering time is quantified with x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, and a decrease of both the rms roughness and correlation length is measured by STM. Neutralization of scattered 3 keV Na+ and K+ alkali-metal ions is used to probe the electronic states of the sputter-induced nanoclusters. The neutral fractions gradually increase as the cluster dimensions decrease, indicating that the electronic structure is similar to that of clusters grown by deposition.     

Deposition and fabrication of alkanethiolate gold nanocluster films on TiO2(1 1 0) and the effects of plasma etching

Deposition and fabrication of films of Au nanoclusters protected by alkanethiolate ligands are attempted on a TiO₂(1 1 0) surface and the structures of films are observed by a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). Effects of oxygen and hydrogen-plasma etching in addition to UV irradiation on the structure and chemical composition of the films are also investigated by using STM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Alkanethiolate Au nanoclusters are produced using a modified Brust synthesis method and their LB films are dip-coated on TiO₂(1 1 0). Alkanethiolate Au nanoclusters are weakly bound to the substrate and can be manipulated with an STM tip. Net-like structures of alkanethiolate Au nanoclusters are formed by a strong blast of air. Oxygen-plasma etching removes alkanethiolate ligands and simultaneously oxidizes Au clusters. At room temperature, prolonged oxygen-plasma etching causes agglomeration of Au nanoclusters. UV irradiation removes ligands partly, which makes Au nanoclusters less mobile. The net-like structure of alkanethiolate Au clusters produced by a blast of air is retained after oxygen and hydrogen-plasma etching.