Observation of negative differential resistance in tunneling spectroscopy of MoS2 with a scanning tunneling microscope
- 1 March 1991
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Vacuum Society in Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B: Microelectronics and Nanometer Structures
- Vol. 9 (2) , 1083-1087
- https://doi.org/10.1116/1.585265
Abstract
A scanning tunneling microscope has been used for imaging and tunneling spectroscopy of 2H(b)-MoS2 in ultrahigh vacuum. Atom-resolved images obtained in three distinct imaging modes-measuring z at constant current, barrier height at constant current, and current at constant z-are presented. Current-voltage (I-V) tunneling spectra reveal the occasional presence of negative differential resistance. Possible origins of the effect are discussed. Convolution of the sample energy density of states (DOS) with a contamination-induced peak in the tip DOS is the probable cause. Other mechanisms that may be active include charging of electron traps in the barrier or on the tip, and resonant tunneling in a double-barrier quantum well structure resulting from layer separation in the MoS2 crystal.This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: