Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

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 Contents

▪ History

▪ Introduction

▪ Some Definitions

▪ Basic Principle

▪ Set-Up

▪ Applications

History
Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at IBM
Zürich created the programme in 1981.
patented in 1982 by IBM.

1986 Nobel Prize winner.

Resolution: 0.01 nm Atomic
resolution achieved.
 20 million times larger, computer-colored enhancement. Scanning tunnelling
microscopy, an IBM research method, generated the first ever photographs of
individual surface atoms and the bonds that hold them in place.

Introduction
The scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) is a potent tool for atomic-scale
surface viewing.
Using tunnelling current, STM examines a material's state density.
Quantum tunnelling is the foundation of the STM.
General Overview
A sample is maintained at a distance of roughly an atom's diameter from a
very small, conducting probe.
An electrical signal is created when electrons pass via a tunnel between the
surface and the tip.
The tip is raised and lowered in order to maintain the distance and keep the
signal consistent while it gently scans across the surface.
Because of this, it can track even the finest features on the surface it is
scanning.

Note
A STM does not directly assess nuclear position. Instead, it counts the clouds
of electron density that are present on the sample's surface.
The positions of the atoms are somewhat accurately represented by the
electron clouds in certain situations, but not always.

Quantum Tunneling

Finite Square Classical Wave Function Potentially Speaking, Where E<V

Traditionally, an item will never penetrate a prospective wall when it

encounters one because it lacks the energy to do so.comes back.
In English, a ball will bounce back at you if you hurl it towards a wall.

When a particle encounters a potential in quantum physics and lacks

sufficient energy to travel through it, the wave enters the square well.
exponential decay occurs in the function.
There will be a discernible likelihood of discovering the particle on the other
side if the well is short enough.
When examining electrons on conducting slabs with a gap in the middle, the
finite square well potential makes for a good approximation.
So what does STM tunnelling entail?
A bias between the two can cause electrons to tunnel through the space
between them when a conducting tip is brought very close to a metallic or
semi-conductive surface.
The "density of states" is the next concept we need to discuss in order to
comprehend this tunnelling effect.
Density of States
In an isolated atom, electrons exist at distinct discrete energy levels. In the
case of metal, the levels are so close together that we use the phrase "energy
interval De around energy e" rather than listing the energies of all the electrons.

The sample's energy valley is filled with electrons until no more are
available. The Fermi level, or eF, is the highest energy level at which electrons
may exist. The density of states is equal to the number of electrons occupying
De of an energy e divided by De.

Vaccum Barrier
The vacuum barrier is a hill that separates the valleys where the electrons
in the tip and the sample are located.
Tunneling of Electron
The sample's Fermi level is effectively raised with respect to the tip by
adding a bias voltage, which essentially raises the sample's Fermi level. We can
now tunnel into empty states since they are available.

Quantum Tunneling
More graphs of tunneling: An electron tunneling from atom to atom:

n(r) is the probability of finding an electron

V(r) is the potential
Now let's examine the situation of tunnelling from one metal to another in greater
detail. The Fermi energy is represented by EF. Current can flow when there is a
voltage drop between the two metals.

Through a barrier, quantum mechanics predicts that the wave function dies off
exponentially:

So the probability of finding an electron after a barrier of width d is:

And

Where f(V) is the Fermi function, which contains a weighted joint local density of
states. This a material property obtained by measurements.
Where:
Plugging in typical values for m, d, and phi (where phi is the average work
function of the tip and the sample), when d changes by 1 Å, the current changes
by a factor of about 10!
So if you bring the tip close enough to the surface,you can create a tunneling
current,even though there is a break in the circuit.
The size of the gap in practice is on the order of a couple of Angstroms (10-10
m)!
As you can see, the current is VERY sensitive to the gap distance.

Basics of STM
Using tunnelling current to gauge surface properties
Sharp probe and ready sample surface
Tunnelling (I=O(nA)) is produced by bringing them near (4–7 A°) and applying a
bias voltage (1 V).

When used in UHV Current, the space between the tip and the surface is
extremely sensitive.

Why such a fine tip is required?

The second point in the image above carries around a million times less
current because to its two atoms of recess. We want such a fine tip because of
this. The bulk of the current will flow via a single atom at the tip, giving us atomic
resolution if we can do it.

STM SetUp
Instrumentation
Piezoelectric XYZ movement is controlled by a transducer (+/-.05A°).
Bulky positioner
Vibration isolation mechanism (Coil springs & Magnetic Damper)

Noise reduction final picture improved via image processing

A feedback control is utilised to modify the height
STM Probe
Gold, Platinum Iridium, Tungsten wire,
or Etching really sharp a probe. 1 atomic layer
Resolution is influenced by the tip's
radius of curvature.
Blunt Probes cause distorted images.

The STM tip is an atomically sharp needle that ends in one atom.
Pure metals (W, Au) Alloys (Pt-Rh, Pt-Ir) Chemically modified conductor
Making of advice: Utilized after being chopped using a wire cutter, then
electrochemically etched

Small Movements
The goal is to reduce the distance between the tip and the sample to a few
Angstroms so that the tunnelling current can be measured.
STMs employ piezoelectricity and feedback servo loops at the level.
Servos
Small mechanical devices called servos have a shaft and can be precisely
controlled by electrical signals.
Robots, puppets, and radio-controlled cars all frequently use servos.
Converse Piezoelectricity
When mechanical stress is applied, certain crystals exhibit piezoelectricity, which allows
them to generate a voltage.
A piezoelectric crystal deforms when an electric field is applied to it. Converse
piezoelectricity is the term for this. Typically, a piezo's distortions are on the order of
micrometers, which is the scale required to keep the STM's tip a few Angstroms away
from the surface.

Electric Field

Pizos

Vibration-Isolation
The tunnel unit with permanent magnets was levitated on a superconducting lead bowl in
the original STM design. Each hour, they used 20 L of liquid helium.
The straightforward and currently popular vibration protection uses a stack of metal
plates separated by rubber spacers compatible with ultra-high vacuums called viton.

Problems and Solutions

Scanning the surface while drawing the tip near to it

Feedback The Servo Loop
Maintaining the tip towards the surface

Piezoelectricity in reverse
making an extremely fine tip
etching using electrochemistry
Forces at the sample's tip
usually insignificant
Noise from acoustics and mechanical vibrations
The microscope is gently suspended inside of an extremely high vacuum chamber (10-11
Torr)
Variations in the sample's thermal length, particularly near the tip
freezing temperatures
WORKING

Modes of Operation
Current's constant height variation with lateral distance
Surface of the state's density
Greater Scanning Speed
Adjusting the height to make current constant, constant current feedback
surfaces of construction state density
Image Interpretation
provides the density of surface state
DOS stands for the quantity of electronic
states per unit of energy and volume.
Topography for a large-scale image

ADVANTAGES

Images in High Resolution (Atomic scale).

use of less electricity.
The sample is undamaged.

DISADVANTAGES

Need for Vacuum & Vibration Isolation; Conductor and Semiconductor-only

Samples
Costly equipment
Hydrogen on
Surface Cleaning Gadolinium
keeping the tool's edge sharp

APPLICATIONS

Molecular or atomic level electrochemical processes may be directly seen with

this potent imaging technology.

Over the past 10 years, the scope of these interfacial electrochemical research
has significantly increased to include studies of corrosion, electrode surfaces,
metal deposition, charge transfer, potential-dependent surface morphology,
batteries, semiconductors, and nanofabrication.

Events in the EC data are related to topographic changes on the sample surface.
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History

Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at IBM Zürich created the programme in 1981.

patented in 1982 by IBM.

1986 Nobel Prize winner.

Resolution: 0.01 nm Atomic

resolution achieved.

Introduction

The scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) is a potent tool for atomic-scale surface viewing.

Using tunnelling current, STM examines a material's state density.

Quantum tunnelling is the foundation of the STM.

General Overview

A sample is maintained at a distance of roughly an atom's diameter from a very small, conducting probe.

An electrical signal is created when electrons pass via a tunnel between the surface and the tip.

The tip is raised and lowered in order to maintain the distance and keep the signal consistent while it
gently scans across the surface.

Because of this, it can track even the finest features on the surface it is scanning.

Note

A STM does not directly assess nuclear position. Instead, it counts the clouds of electron density that are
present on the sample's surface.

The positions of the atoms are somewhat accurately represented by the electron clouds in certain
situations, but not always.

Quantum Tunneling

Finite Square Classical Wave Function Potentially Speaking, Where E

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