Scanning Tunneling
Microscopy
NEEHARIKA CHAUHAN
A16
Contents
History
Introduction
Some Definitions
Basic Principle
Set-Up
Applications
History
Developed in the 1981 by
Gerd Binnig and Heinrich
Rohrer at IBM Zürich .
Patented by IBM in 1982.
Won Nobel prize in 1986.
Achievement of Atomic silicon surface atoms enlarged 20
Resolution million times, color-enhanced by
computer.
Resolution:~0.01 nm. The world's first images of individual
surface atoms and the bonds that hold
them in place were produced by a
research technique developed by IBM -
- scanning tunneling microscopy.
Introduction
Scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is a powerful technique for viewing
surfaces at the atomic level.
STM probes the density of states of a material using tunneling current.
The STM is based on the concept of Quantum Tunneling.
General Overview
1. An extremely fine conducting probe is held
about an atom’s diameter from the sample.
2. Electrons tunnel between the surface and the tip,
producing an electrical signal.
3. While it slowly scans across the surface,
the tip is raised and lowered in order to keep
the signal constant and maintain the distance.
This enables it to follow even the smallest
details of the surface it is scanning.
Note
A STM does not measure nuclear position
directly. Rather it measures the electron
density clouds on the surface of the sample.
In some cases, the electron clouds represent
the atom locations pretty well, but not
always.
Quantum Tunneling
Classical
Wave Function
For Finite Square
Well Potential
Where E<V
Classically, when an object hits a potential that
it doesn’t have enough energy to pass, it will
never go though that potential wall, it always
bounces back.
In English, if you throw a ball at a wall, it will
bounce back at you.
Quantum Tunneling
Quantum
Wave Function
For Finite Square
Well Potential
Where E<V
In quantum mechanics when a particle hits a
potential that it doesn’t have enough energy
to pass, when inside the square well, the wave
function dies off exponentially.
If the well is short enough, there will be a noticeable
probability of finding the particle on the other side.
Quantum Tunneling
The finite square well potential is a good
approximation for looking at electrons on conducting
slabs with a gap between them.
So what is this tunneling in STM?
When a conducting tip is brought very near to a metallic
or semi- conducting surface, a bias between the two can
allow electrons to tunnel through the vacuum between
them.
In order to understand this tunneling effect, next we have
to talk about "density of states".
Vaccum Barrier
The electrons in the tip and the sample are sitting in two separate valleys,
separated by a hill which is the vacuum barrier.
Tunneling of Electron
By applying a bias voltage to the sample with respect to
the tip, we effectively raise the Fermi level of the
sample with respect to the tip. Now we have empty
states available for tunneling into.
Quantum Tunneling
So if you bring the tip close enough to the surface,
you can create a tunneling current,
even though there is a break in the circuit.
The size of the gap in practice is on the order
of a couple of Angstroms (10-10 m)!
As you can see, the current is VERY sensitive to the
gap distance.
Basics of STM
Bias voltage:
d~6 mV – V range
Å
Tunnelling current as a measure of surface characteristics
Sharp probe & prepared surface of sample
Bringing them close(4-7 A°) & Bias Voltage(1V) results in
Tunnelling (I=O(nA))
Used in UHV
Current is very sensitive to the gap between the tip and
the surface
Why such a fine tip is required?
The second tip shown above is recessed by about two atoms
and thus carries about a million times less current. That is
why we want such a fine tip. If we can get a single atom at
the tip, the vast majority of the current will run through it
and thus give us atomic resolution.
STM Set Up
Instrumentation
Piezoelectric Transducer used for controlled
movement in XYZ (+/- .05A°)
Coarse positioner
Mechanism for vibration isolation (Coil springs
& Magnetic Damper)
Noise Cancellation Final image enhanced
through image processing
Feedback control used for height adjustment
STM Probe
Tungsten wire(Etching),
Platinum Iridium(Shearing) or
Gold
Extremely sharp probe. ( 1 Atom
Thick)
Resolution depends on radius of
curvature of tip
Blunt Probes creates image
distortions
STM tip: atomically sharp needle and terminates in a single atom
Pure metals (W, Au)
Alloys (Pt-Rh, Pt-Ir)
Chemically modified conductor (W/S, Pt-Rh/S, W/C…)
Preparation of tips: Cut by a wire cutter and used as is cut
followed by electrochemical etching
Small Movements
To get the distance between the tip and the
sample down to a couple of Angstroms
where the tunneling current is at a measurable
level, STMs use feedback servo loops and converse
piezoelectricity.
Servos
Servos are small devices with a shaft that
can be precisely controlled with electrical
signals.
Servos are used all the time in radio
controlled cars, puppets, and robots.
Converse Piezoelectricity
Piezoelectricity is the ability of certain crystals to
produce a voltage when subjected to mechanical
stress.
When you apply an electric field to a piezoelectric
crystal, the crystal distorts. This is known as
converse piezoelectricity. The distortions of a
piezo is usually on the order of micrometers,
which is in the scale needed to keep the tip of the
STM a couple Angstroms from the surface.
Electric Field
Pizos
The tip
Vibration-Isolation
The original STM design had the tunnel unit with
permanent magnets levitated on a superconducting lead
bowl. They used 20 L of liquid helium per hour.
Vibration-Isolation
The simple and presently widely used vibration protection
with a stack of metal plates separated by viton - an ultra
high vacuum compatible rubber spacer.
Working
Modes of Operation
Constant Height
• Variation of Current with lateral
distance
• Surface of density of state
• Faster Scanning Rate
Constant Current
• Feedback adjusts the height to
make current const
• Surfaces of const density of state
Image Interpretation
Gives the density of state of
surfaces
DOS- Number of electronic states
per unit volume per unit energy.
For a large scale image –
Topography
Hydrogen on Gadolinium
Advantages
• High Resolution Images (Atomic scale).
• Low power application.
• No damage to the sample.
Disadvantages
Need for Vacuum & Vibration isolation
Samples limited to conductors and semiconductors
High Equipment cost
Surface Preparation
Maintaining the tool sharpness
Applications
• Semiconductor surface structure, Nanotechnology,
Superconductors, etc.
• Surface Topography-Atomic Resolution
• Spectroscopy of single atoms
Image of reconstruction on
a clean Gold surface.
Typical Applications of STM
Electrochemical STM (ECSTM)
Powerful imaging tool, directly visualize electrochemical
processes in-situ and in real space at molecular or
atomic levels.
Such interfacial electrochemical studies have been
dramatically expanded over the past decade, covering
areas in electrode surfaces, metal deposition, charge
transfer, potential-dependent surface morphology,
corrosion, batteries, semiconductors, and
nanofabrication.
Events in the EC data correlate with changes in the
topography of the sample surface.
STM-based electrochemical nanotechnology
• STM tip: a tool for manipulating individual atoms or molecules on substrate
surface and directing them continuously to predetermined positions
• ECSTM tip-generated entities are clearly larger than single atoms due to their low
stability to survive electrochemical environment at room temperature.
• Tip crash method: (surface damaged ) use the tip to create surface defects, which
then acted as nucleation centers for the metal deposition at pre-selected positions.
• Jump-to-contact method: (surface undamaged ) metal is first deposited onto the tip
from electrolyte, then the metal-loaded tip approaches the surface to form a
connective neck between tip and substrate. Upon retreat of the tip and applying a
pulsed voltage, the neck breaks, leaving a metal cluster on the substrate. Continued
metal deposition onto the tip supplies enough material for the next cluster
generation.
References
G. Binnig and H. Rohrer. "Scanning Tunneling Microscopy", IBM J Res.
Develop., 30:355, 1986.
G. Binnig, H. Rohrer, “Scanning Tunneling Microscopy - From Birth to
Adolescence”, Nobel lecture, December 8, 1986.
Tit-Wah Hui, “Scanning Tunneling Microscopy - A Tutorial”,
[Link]
Wikipedia, “Scanning Tunneling Microscope”,
[Link]
Nobel e-Museum, “The Scanning Tunneling Microscope”,
[Link]
Pictures from [Link]
Thank You