Scanning tunneling microscopy on rough surfaces-quantitative image analysis

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Abstract
In this communication, the application of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) for a quantitative evaluation of roughnesses and mean island sizes of polycrystalline thin films is discussed. Provided strong conditions concerning the resolution are satisfied, the results are in good agreement with standard techniques as, for example, transmission electron microscopy. Owing to its high resolution, STM can supply a better characterization of surfaces than established methods, especially concerning the roughness. Microscopic interpretations of surface dependent physical properties thus can be considerably improved by a quantitative analysis of STM images.