Browsing by Subject "Scanning tunneling microscopy"

Now showing 1 - 13 of 13

Open Access
50 nm Hall Sensors for Room Temperature Scanning Hall Probe Microscopy
(Institute of Physics Publishing, 2004) Sandhu, A.; Kurosawa, K.; Dede, M.; Oral, A.
Bismuth nano-Hall sensors with dimensions ∼50nm × 50 nm were fabricated using a combination of optical lithography and focused ion beam milling. The Hall coefficient, series resistance and optimum magnetic field sensitivity of the sensors were 4 × 10-4 Ω/G, 9.1kΩ and 0.8G/√Hz, respectively. A 50nm nano-Bi Hall sensor was installed into a room temperature scanning Hall probe microscope and successfully used for directly imaging ferromagnetic domains of low coercivity garnet thin films.
Open Access
Artifacts related to tip asymmetry in high-resolution atomic force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy measurements of graphitic surfaces
(American Institute of Physics Inc., 2015) Uluutku, B.; Baykara, M. Z.
The effect of tip asymmetry on atomic-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy measurements of graphitic surfaces has been investigated via numerical simulations. Employing a three-dimensional, crystalline, metallic tip apex and a two-layer thick graphene sample as a model system, basic calculations of the tip-sample interaction have revealed a significant effect of tip asymmetry on obtained results, including artificial modulation of site-specific chemical interaction forces and spatial distortion of observed features. Related artifacts are shown to be enhanced for tips with low lateral stiffness values. Our results emphasize that potentially erroneous interpretations of atomic-scale surface properties via imaging and spectroscopy measurements can be caused or enhanced by tip asymmetry.
Open Access
Atomic force microscopy: Methods and applications
(Elsevier, 2017) Baykara, Mehmet Z.; Schwarz, U. D.; Lindon, J.; Tranter, G. E.; Koppenaal, D.
This chapter provides an overview of atomic force microscopy, covering the fundamental aspects of the associated instrumentation and methodology as well as representative results from the literature highlighting a variety of application areas. In particular, atomic-resolution imaging and spectroscopy capabilities are emphasized, in addition to applications in biology, nanotribology and catalysis research. Finally, an outlook on emerging aspects and future prospects of atomic force microscopy is provided.
Open Access
Direct magnetic imaging of ferromagnetic domain structures by room temperature scanning hall probe microscopy using a bismuth micro-Hall probe
(Japan Society of Applied Physics, 2001) Sandhu, A.; Masuda, H.; Oral, A.; Bending, S. J.
A bismuth micro-Hall probe sensor with an integrated scanning tunnelling microscope tip was incorporated into a room temperature scanning Hall probe microscope system and successfully used for the direct magnetic imaging of microscopic domains of low coercivity perpendicular garnet thin films and demagnetized strontium ferrite permanent magnets. At a driving current of 800 μA, the Hall coefficient, magnetic field sensitivity and spatial resolution of the Bi probe were 3.3 × 10-4 Ω/G, 0.38 G/√Hz and ∼ 2.8 μm, respectively. The room temperature magnetic field sensitivity of the Bi probe was comparable to that of a semiconducting 1.2μm GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure micro-Hall probe, which exhibited a value of 0.41 G/√Hz at a maximum driving current of 2μA.
Open Access
Electronic structure of low dimensional semiconductor systems
(1992) Gülseren, Oğuz
Recent progress made in the growth techniques has led to the fabrication of the artificial semiconductor systems of lower dimension. Electrons and holes in these materials have quantization different from those of the three dimensional systems presenting unusual electronic properties and novel device applications. In this work, the important features of the free carriers in semiconductor superlattices are examined, and the electronic structure of some novel 2D semiconductor systems are investigated theoretically. This thesis studies various systems of lower dimensionality such as: the strained Si/Ge superlattices, i-doping. Si (100) surface and the tip-sample interaction in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) study of this surface, and Wannier-Stark localization in finite length superlattices. The electronic energy structure of pseudomorphic Ge„i/Si„ superlattices is investigated by using the empirical tight binding method. Effects of the band offset, sublattice periodicity and the lateral lattice constant on the transition energies have been investigated. It is found that Ge„i/Si„ superlattices grown on Ge (001) can have a direct band gap, if m + n = 10 and m = 6. However, optical matrix elements for in-plane and perpendicular polarized light are negligible for the transition from the highest valence band to the lowest conduction band state at the center of the superlattice Brillouin zone. The electronic structure of the Si i-layer in germanium is explored by using the Green’s function formalism with layer orbitals. We found two dimensional parabolic subbands near the band edges. This approach is extended to treat the electronic structure of a single quantum well without invoking the periodically repeating models. Quantum well formation in Ge,„Si„ superlattices is also studied by using different number of ^-layers. Subband structure is observed by changing the height of the Si quantum well. The confinement of acoustical modes within 2DEG due to only the electronphonon interaction is proposed. The confined modes split out from the bulk phonons, if the 2DEG is created by means of modulation doping. This occurs even if the lattice has uniform parameters. The effect is more pronounced when the wave vector q of the modes increases and is maximum a,t q = 2kp {kp is the Fermi wave vector). In the case of several electron sheets the additional features of the confinement effect appear. Green’s function method is also applied to treat the modifications of electronic state density in STM. The tip-sample interaction in STM study of Si (100) surface is explored by calculating the Gieen’s function within the empirical tight binding method. Both of the proposed reconstruction models, buckled and symmetrical dimer model, is investigated. A dip occurs in the change of density of states of surface atoms at the energy of surface states for small tip-sample distances, and it decreases with increasing tip-sample separation. Although, in-plane tip position (above the up- or down-surface atom) affects the surface atoms differently in buckled dimer model, it influences the surface atoms symmetrically in symmetric dimer model. Recent experimental studies revealed the significant information on the Wannier-Stark localization. Following these experimental results, the WannierStark ladder is investigated by carrying out numerical calculations on a multiple quantum well structure under an applied electric field. The variation of the Wannier-Stark ladder energies and localization of the corresponding wave II function are examined for a wide range of applied electric field. Our results show that Wannier-Stark ladder do exist for finite but periodic system which consists of a large number of quantum well having multi-miniband structure. It is found that the miniband states are localized in the well regions with the applied electric field, while the continuum states preserve their extended character. Energies of the well states show a linear shift with the electric field except the small field values in which a nonlinear shift is resulted. Multiband calculations show that there is a mixing between the different band states although they are localized in different well regions.
Open Access
Initial stages of Pt growth on Ge (001) studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and density functional theory
(American Physical Society, 2004) Gurlu, O.; Zandvliet, H. J. W.; Poelsema, B.; Dag, S.; Çıracı, Salim
We have studied the initial stages of submonolayer Pt growth on the Ge(001). We have observed several stable and meta-stable adsorption configurations of Pt atoms at various temperatures. Calculations indicate relatively high binding energies of Pt atoms onto the Ge lattice, at different adsorption sites. Our results show that through-the-substrate bonding (concerted bonding) of two Pt atoms is more favored on Ge(001) surface then a direct Pt-Pt bond. Both our experiments and calculations indicate the breaking of Ge-Ge bonds on the surface in the vicinity of Pt adsorbates. We have also observed the spontaneous generation of 2 + 1 dimer vacancy defects at room temperature that cause the ejection of Ge atoms onto the surface. Finally we have studied the diffusion of Pt atoms into the bulk as a result of annealing and found out that they get trapped at subsurface sites.
Open Access
Initial stages of SiGe epitaxy on Si(001) studied by scanning tunneling microscopy
(Elsevier BV, 1995) Oral, A.; Ellialtioglu, R.
We have studied the initial stages of strained SiGe alloy growth on the Si(001)-(2 × 1) surface by scanning tunneling microscopy. The Si0.36Ge0.64 alloy was grown on the silicon substrate at various coverages (0.13-3.6 ML) and at different temperatures (∼ 310-470°C). The growth was one dimensional, preferring the direction perpendicular to the underlying silicon dimer rows at low coverages and low temperatures. Anti-phase boundaries were observed to lead multi-layer growth. Strong interaction between the overlayer and the substrate was found to buckle the substrate as well as SiGe dimers. Different growth mechanisms, island formation and step flow, were identified at low and high substrate temperatures. (2 × n) ordering of the strained overlayer was only observed at an intermediate growth temperature (∼ 390°C). © 1995.
Open Access
Low-amplitude, force gradient imaging of Cu(100) surface using tunnel current feedback
(Institute of Physics Publishing, 2004) Özer, H. Ö.; Norris, A.; Oral, A.; Hoffmann, P. M.; Pethica, J. B.
The large corrugation amplitudes in scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) images of metal surfaces have been commonly attributed to the action of forces between the tip and the sample. We have investigated the Cu(100) surface using a high-resolution non-contact atomic force microscope/scanning tunnelling microscope (nc-AFM/STM) in UHV. Force gradient and STM topography images were acquired simultaneously using constant tunnelling current feedback. Force gradient images showed atomic resolution whereas STM scans exhibited almost no contrast, corresponding to a flat tip trajectory during scans. The corrugation height in force gradient images was found to increase as the set tunnelling current was increased. Force gradient and tunnel current were directly measured as a function of separation, to determine the operating conditions during imaging. The STM operation regime is found to lie between the minimum of the stiffness curve and the start of repulsive force.
Open Access
Noncontact lateral-force gradient measurement on Si(111)-7×7 surface with small-amplitude off-resonance atomic force microscopy
(2009) Atabak, M.; Ünverdi O.; Özer H.O.; Oral, A.
In this work, the authors report on a quantitative investigation of lateral-force gradient and lateral force between a tungsten tip and Si (111) - (7×7) surface using combined noncontact lateral-force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. Simultaneous lateral-force gradient and scanning tunneling microscopy images of single and multiatomic step are obtained. In our measurement, tunnel current is used as feedback. The lateral-stiffness contrast has been observed to be 2.5 Nm at a single atomic step, in contrast to 13 Nm at a multiatomic step on Si (111) surface. They also carried out a series of lateral stiffness-distance spectroscopy, which show a sharp increase in tip-surface interaction stiffness as the sample is approached toward the surface. © 2009 American Vacuum Society.
Open Access
On the structural and electronic properties of Ir-silicide nanowires on Si(001) surface
(American Institute of Physics Inc., 2016) Fatima; Oguz I. C.; Çakır, D.; Hossain, S.; Mohottige, R.; Gulseren, O.; Oncel, N.
Iridium (Ir) modified Silicon (Si) (001) surface is studied with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy/Spectroscopy (STM/STS) and Density Functional Theory (DFT). A model for Ir-silicide nanowires based on STM images and ab-initio calculations is proposed. According to our model, the Ir adatom is on the top of the substrate dimer row and directly binds to the dimer atoms. I-V curves measured at 77 K shows that the nanowires are metallic. DFT calculations confirm strong metallic nature of the nanowires.
Open Access
Scanning Hall probe microscopy (SHPM) using quartz crystal AFM feedback
(American Scientific Publishers, 2007) Dede, Münir; Ürkmen, Koray; Girişen, Ö.; Atabak, Mehrdad; Oral, Ahmet; Farrer, I.; Ritchie, D.
Scanning Hall Probe Microscopy (SHPM) is a quantitative and non-invasive technique for imaging localized surface magnetic field fluctuations such as ferromagnetic domains with high spatial and magnetic field resolution of ∼50 nm and 7 mG/Hz 1/2 at room temperature. In the SHPM technique, scanning tunneling microscope (STM) or atomic force microscope (AFM) feedback is used to keep the Hall sensor in close proximity of the sample surface. However, STM tracking SHPM requires conductive samples; therefore the insulating substrates have to be coated with a thin layer of gold. This constraint can be eliminated with the AFM feedback using sophisticated Hall probes that are integrated with AFM cantilevers. However it is very difficult to micro fabricate these sensors. In this work, we have eliminated the difficulty in the cantilever-Hall probe integration process, just by gluing a Hall Probe chip to a quartz crystal tuning fork force sensor. The Hall sensor chip is simply glued at the end of a 32.768 kHz or 100 kHz Quartz crystal, which is used as force sensor. An LT-SHPM system is used to scan the samples. The sensor assembly is dithered at the resonance frequency using a digital Phase Locked Loop circuit and frequency shifts are used for AFM tracking. SHPM electronics is modified to detect AFM topography and the frequency shift, along with the magnetic field image. Magnetic domains and topography of an Iron Garnet thin film crystal, NdFeB demagnetised magnet and hard disk samples are presented at room temperature. The performance is found to be comparable with the SHPM using STM feedback.
Open Access
Simultaneous measurement of multiple independent atomic-scale interactions using scanning probe microscopy: data interpretation and the effect of cross-talk
(American Chemical Society, 2015) Baykara, M. Z.; Todorović, M.; Mönig, H.; Schwendemann, T. C.; Rodrigo, L.; Altman, E. I.; Pérez, R.; Schwarz, U. D.
In high-resolution scanning probe microscopy, it is becoming increasingly common to simultaneously record multiple channels representing different tip-sample interactions to collect complementary information about the sample surface. A popular choice involves simultaneous scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) measurements, which are thought to reflect the chemical and electronic properties of the sample surface. With surface-oxidized Cu(100) as an example, we investigate whether atomic-scale information on chemical interactions can be reliably extracted from frequency shift maps obtained while using the tunneling current as the feedback parameter. Ab initio calculations of interaction forces between specific tip apexes and the surface are utilized to compare experiments with theoretical expectations. The examination reveals that constant-current operation may induce a noticeable influence of topography-feedback-induced cross-talk on the frequency shift data, resulting in misleading interpretations of local chemical interactions on the surface. Consequently, the need to apply methods such as 3D-AFM is emphasized when accurate conclusions about both the local charge density near the Fermi level, as provided by the STM channel, and the site-specific strength of tip-sample interactions (NC-AFM channel) are desired. We conclude by generalizing to the case where multiple atomic-scale interactions are being probed while only one of them is kept constant.
Open Access
Simultaneous non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM)/STM imaging and force spectroscopy of Si(1 0 0)(2 × 1) with small oscillation amplitudes
(Elsevier Science B.V., 2002) Özer, H. Ö.; Atabak, M.; Ellialtoğlu, R. M.; Oral, A.
Si(1 0 0)(2 × 1) surface is imaged using a new non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM)/STM with sub-Ångström oscillation amplitudes using stiff tungsten levers. Simultaneous force gradient and STM images of individual dimers and atomic scale defects are obtained. We measured force-distance (f-d) curves with different tips. Some of the tips show long force interactions, whereas some others resolve short-range interatomic force interactions. We observed that the tips showing short-range force interaction give atomic resolution in force gradient scans. This result suggests that short-range force interactions are responsible for atomic resolution in nc-AFM.