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Characterization 3 (Updated)

The document discusses the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and its use for characterizing nanomaterials. The STM uses electron tunneling to obtain three-dimensional atomic resolution images of solid surfaces. It works by bringing a sharp metal tip within 0.3-1 nm of the sample surface and measuring changes in tunneling current as the tip is scanned across the surface. The STM can operate in either constant current or constant height mode. It provides highly accurate spatial resolution down to 0.01 nm, allowing direct visualization and manipulation of individual atoms.

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45 views6 pages

Characterization 3 (Updated)

The document discusses the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and its use for characterizing nanomaterials. The STM uses electron tunneling to obtain three-dimensional atomic resolution images of solid surfaces. It works by bringing a sharp metal tip within 0.3-1 nm of the sample surface and measuring changes in tunneling current as the tip is scanned across the surface. The STM can operate in either constant current or constant height mode. It provides highly accurate spatial resolution down to 0.01 nm, allowing direct visualization and manipulation of individual atoms.

Uploaded by

sultan ali
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Nano-Materials technology

Part 4
Tools to Characterize Nanomaterials/3
Dr. Ghadeer Al-Malkawi

1
6- Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM)
• The scanning tunnelling microscope (STM), is the first
instrument capable of directly obtaining three dimensional
images of solid surfaces with atomic resolution.

• STMs have been used for the formation of nano-features by


localized heating or by inducing chemical reactions under
the STM tip and nano-machining.

• AFM and STM can be used in any environment such as


ambient air, various gases, liquids, vacuum, at low
temperatures (lower than about 100 K) and high
temperatures (above RT).

2
Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM)

• The principle of electron tunneling was proposed by Giaever. He envisioned that if a


potential difference is applied to two metals separated by a thin insulating film, a
current will flow. To be able to measure a tunneling current, the two metals must be
spaced no more than 10 nm apart.

• The tunneling current is highly sensitive to the separation distance between tip and
sample; it decreases exponentially with increase in tip–sample separation distance.

• Tunneling current decreases by a factor of 2 as the separation is increased by 0.2 nm.

• Very high lateral resolution depends upon sharp tips.

3
Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM)
• The principle of the STM is straightforward. A sharp metal tip (one electrode of the
tunnel junction) is brought close enough (0.3–1 nm) to the surface to be investigated
(the second electrode), such that, at a convenient operating voltage (10 mV–1 V), the
tunnelling current varies from 0.2 to 10 nA, which is measurable.

• In STM, a conductive tip placed above the surface of a sample moves on the sample
surface with its height being adjusted continuously to keep the tunneling current
constant.

• The tip position is monitored to map the surface topography of the sample. Figure 5.11
schematically depicts an STM structure.

• The tip movement above the sample surface in three dimensions is controlled by
piezoelectric arrays.

• The spacial resolution is about 0.01 nm in the x- and y- directions and about 0.002 nm in
the z-direction, which leads to a true atomic resolution in three dimensions.

4
5
STM Modes of Operations
• STM is commonly operated in two modes. One of them is
constant current imaging, in which a constant current is
maintained between the sample and tip.

• During the movement of the tip over the sample surface,


the vertical position of the tip is changed to maintain a
constant separation between the two.

• In contrast to the constant current mode, constant tip


position results in variations in tunneling current due to
changes in tip separation distance brought about by the
3D topographic features of the surface atoms.
6

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