Preparation of silver tips for scanning tunneling microscopy imaging

Abstract

A simple reliable preparation method of silver tips for scanning tunneling microscopy imaging with atomic resolution is presented. The procedure is based on two-step electrochemical processing; ac electropolishing and subsequent dc electroetching. The quality of the tip is improved by applying high bias voltage pulses while the tip is within tunneling range. This indicates that the end of the tips are sharpened by field evaporation of silver ions.

Anthrax toxin-induced rupture of artificial lipid bilayer membranes

“…The ends of two 76 μm diameter Ag wires (A-M Systems, Carlsborg, WA) were etched using a modification of previously described techniques. 64,65 Briefly, a 50 ml Pt crucible was filled with a solution of 28% ammonium hydroxide. The Ag wire was mounted to a vertical translator and connected to one electrode of an adjustable step-down transformer.…”

High Resolution STM Imaging

“…STM tips are usually fabricated from low-cost polycrystalline noble metal [37,38] and tungsten [39] wires using electrochemical etching. For specific (superconducting, spin-polarized, etc.)…”

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“…25,26 An Ag-bond wire (25-mm diameter; Heraeus) was mounted on a metal cantilever and brought for split seconds into an etching solution (20% perchloric acid in methanol) 25 located in a silver-wire loop (1-mm diameter; WPI) while a voltage of 1.5 V was applied. An inverse microscope The measurement setup, the theoretical electric field lines, and the electronic circuit of the DAIMM method.…”