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Scanning Tunneling Microscope: How Does It Work?

The scanning tunneling microscope uses the phenomenon of quantum tunneling to measure extremely small distances on the order of fractions of a nanometer by monitoring the tunneling current between a sharp tip and conductive sample; with it, scientists can construct topographic images of surfaces at the atomic scale and manipulate individual atoms to build structures like quantum corrals that confine electron waves. The STM enabled groundbreaking discoveries like observing reconstructions of semiconductor surfaces and earned its inventors Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics.

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41 views19 pages

Scanning Tunneling Microscope: How Does It Work?

The scanning tunneling microscope uses the phenomenon of quantum tunneling to measure extremely small distances on the order of fractions of a nanometer by monitoring the tunneling current between a sharp tip and conductive sample; with it, scientists can construct topographic images of surfaces at the atomic scale and manipulate individual atoms to build structures like quantum corrals that confine electron waves. The STM enabled groundbreaking discoveries like observing reconstructions of semiconductor surfaces and earned its inventors Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Uploaded by

Arnau Ll-vera
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Scanning

Tunneling
Microscope

How does it
work?

Electron tunneling

Quantum tunneling effect


if a second electrode is
brought within very close
proximity of the first one, there
is a finite probability for the
electron to be transferred
through the barrier

Solving Schrdinger equation


2 d 2

+ V ( x ) = E
2
2m dx

1 = A ei kx + B e i kx k = 2mE

2 = C ei kx
2 m ( E0 E )
3 = D e x + E e x =

T e

2d

The scanning tunneling microscope (STM)


Nobel Prize 1986
IBM, Zurich

Binnig, Rohrer, Gerber and Weibel, Phys.Rev.Lett. (1982)

Scanning tunneling microscope


Bias
voltage

Sharp metallic tip

I
Constant current
profile
ee-

Sample

Tunneling current e -2d

Exponential dependence: I varies one order of magnitude when d


changes by 0.1 nm: Probe very sensitive to the tip-sample distance!

Orders of magnitude
Bias voltage 2V
2-5 eV
Current 50 pA-10nA
Rt 0.01 10 G
If the tip was...

300 m

Atoms would be of 0.1 mm


Technological difficulties to bring and move the tip close enough to
the surface.

Obtaining surface profiles


x

The tip is scanned


across the sample
surface, while feedback
voltage is recorded.
Total time to scan the whole sample: 1-30 s

Building topographic images

The measured data is recorded in the form of the matrix (x,y,h),


where h is the height of the tip with respect to the surface (constant
current) or the value of the current (constant height).
A color scale, which is used to construct a grid, is assigned to the
elements of the matrix as a function of h.
The grid may be deformed in the vertical direction as a function of h.

Model for Si(111)7x7 surface reconstruction

DAS model by Takayanagi & Tong.

STM for Si(111)7x7

U=-2V

U=+2V

The model of Takayanagi and Tong agrees well with STM images.
Adatoms appear like bright points in the image recorded with U>0.

Surface steps

Si (111)

V = +2 V

31 nm x 31 nm

Pb adsorbed onto Si(111)


A movie showing a relatively slow process can be recorded
from successive images.

U= -2 V

U= 2 V

Pb atoms jump within several equilibrium positions on Si (1,1,1)


due to thermal activation (images recorded at room temperature).

C60 adsorbed onto Si(111)7x7

ab-initio calculations for


the electronic structure of
C60 molecule agree well
with the STM images.

U<0
J. Moreno et al. UAM

Iodine adsorbed on platinum

The iodine atoms adsorbed


on the platinum surface form
an ordered lattice, where two
vacancies of iodine atoms are
observed.

Manipulating
atoms

STM manipulation of single atoms


Adsorbed surface atoms can be manipulated at low
temperatures and in UHV (ultra high vacuum) conditions.
Vertical manipulation:
Tip is brought in contact with the adatom.
Transfer of the surface atom to the tip and
back to the surface.
Tip is pulled away from the surface.

Lateral manipulation:
Tip is approached to the surface.
Tip is moved at constant height (or current)
across the surface interacting with the
adatom.
Tip is pulled away from the surface.
D.M. Eigler, E.K. Schweizer. Nature 344, 524-526 (1990)

Quantum corrals
48 Atoms of Fe onto Cu(111)

51 atoms of Ag onto Ag(111)

Quantum corrals may be built by lateral manipulation of adsorbed


atoms on a clean surface.

Quantum corrals

Standing waves of the electron density of states are observed inside


the 2D quantum corrals. It is similar to standing waves on the
surface of confined water.

Quantum corrals

Cu atoms adsorbed on Cu(111). The quantum corral is destroyed by


the effect of heating (9-12 K).
http://www.specs.de/pages/products.htm

Building complex atomic structures

The Kanji characters for atom


(Fe atoms on Cu(111)).
C.P. Lutz & D.M. Eigler

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