Reliable tip preparation for high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy
- 1 November 1994
- journal article
- Published by American Vacuum Society in Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures
- Vol. 12 (6) , 3187-3190
- https://doi.org/10.1116/1.587497
Abstract
We describe a method to prepare electron emitters (tips) designed to achieve routine atomic resolution in a scanning tunneling microscope. Highly reliable results were obtained with repeated sputter‐anneal processes in ultrahigh vacuum using polycrystallinetungsten wires as the base material. A tip apex radius of less than 5 nm and an atomic resolution of III–V (110) semiconductor surfaces are routinely obtained. The analysis involves scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,scanning tunneling microscopy, and current–voltage characteristics in the field emission regime.Keywords
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