A thermally compensated tube scanner scanning tunneling microscope (STM) has been constructed and successfully tested. This design utilizes two concentric piezoelectric tubes, one for scanning and one for thermal compensation and inertial sample translation (over several mm), as well as fine adjustment of sample position while in tunneling range. This design eliminates the need for mechanical components such as springs, levers, gears, or stepper motors that are known to result in considerable vibration sensitivity, thermal drift, and low-resonance frequencies. This new design demonstrates continuously variable-temperature operation as well as atomic resolution without vibration isolation for the first time in a STM. Thermal drift of less than 1 Å/h and less than 10 Å/K have been determined. Also, the lowest mechanical resonance frequency of 21 kHz makes this new design suitable for high-speed applications such as video rate scanning.

The chemical modification of n- and p-type hydrogen-passivated Si(100) surfaces by a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is reported. The modified areas have been examined with STM, Auger electron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Comparison of these characterization techniques indicates the features are both chemical and topographic in nature and are the result of local oxidation of the substrate. In addition, pattern transfer for the defined regions has been demonstrated with both thermal oxidation and HBr reactive-ion etching.

A two-dimensional micropositioning device for scanning tunneling microscope (STM) probes has been developed. This device uses the principle of piezoelectric inertial translation to produce a controlled stepping motion of the probe along vertical and horizontal axes over distances of several mm. The tip micropositioner is controlled by the same electrical signals that drive the scanning piezoelectric element, thus alleviating the need for additional electronic control elements. This device has been tested on STMs operating in air and in ultrahigh vacuum environments.

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