Scanning tunneling microscopy with InAs nanowire tips

Abstract

Indium arsenide nanowires grown by selective-area vapor phase epitaxy are used as tips for scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The STM tips are realized by positioning the wires manually on the corner of a double cleaved gallium arsenide wafer with submicrometer precision and contacting them lithographically, which is fully compatible with further integrated circuitry on the GaAs wafer. STM images show a z-noise of 2 pm and a lateral stability of, at least, 0.5 nm on a Au(111) surface. I(z) spectroscopy reveals an exponential decay indicating tunneling through vacuum. Subsequent electron microscopy images of the tip demonstrate that the wires are barely modified during the STM imaging

Semiquantitative Electron Tunneling Barrier Height Measurements of Molecular Monolayers at the Solution–Graphite Interface: Nonorbital-Mediated Tunneling

“…Generally, I – z data are correlated to the tunneling barrier height via its influence on the exponential electron state decay. , This can be accomplished experimentally in different ways. If an instrument displays very little thermal drift (such as the case for modern cryogenic UHV STMs), the tip is simply retracted in place, and the corresponding current is collected. , The decay constant is then determined from a fit of the I – z data directly. However, under ambient conditions, this approach is problematic due to the high thermal drift encountered.…”

“…If an instrument displays very little thermal drift (such as the case for modern cryogenic UHV STMs), the tip is simply retracted in place, and the corresponding current is collected. 32,33 The decay constant is then determined from a fit of the I−z data directly. However, under ambient conditions, this approach is problematic due to the high thermal drift encountered.…”

Thermodynamics of interacting hard rods on a lattice

“…The physics of one dimensional structures attracts recently much interest both in theory and in experiment due to its relevant for nanotechnology [1][2][3] . With the emergence of th manipulation and high resolution imaging instruments such as the Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) and atom probe tomography [4][5][6][7] , it is possible in currents experiments to manipulate one dimensional chains of atoms or molecules with only one atom or molecules in diameter [8][9][10] . The latter have been shown to have a unique and fascinating properties which does not exist in two or three dimensions [11][12][13] .…”

Nanofabricated tips for device-based scanning tunneling microscopy

“…3. We emphasize that the fabrication recipes allow for a precise control of the tip shape and achieve atomic resolution, which differentiates it from earlier work that relies on cleaving the chip [8][9][10]. These recipes also allow for easy integration of any standard cleanroom procedure without impeding the STM performance.…”

“…We would like to highlight some ways of how smart tips can, in the future, contribute to challenges in condensed matter physics and beyond, with an example shown in figure 3. Such applications beyond standard tips are possible as the fabrication recipes allow for a precise control of the tip shape while achieving atomic resolution, which differentiates it from earlier work that relies on cleaving the chip [16][17][18]. A first example is to guide photons close to the apex of the tip.…”