The scanning mid-IR-laser microscopy was previously demonstrated as an effective tool for characterization of different semiconductor crystals. Now the technique has been successfully applied for the investigation of CZ SixGe1-x -- a promising material for photovoltaics - and multicrystalline silicon for solar cells. In addition, this technique was shown to be appropriate for imaging of polishing-induced defects as well as such huge defects as "pin holes". Besides, previously unexplained "anomalous" (cubic power) dependence of signal of the scanning mid-IR-laser microscope in the optical-beam-induced light scattering mode on the photoexcitation power obtained for mechanically polished samples has now been attributed to the excess carrier scattering on charged linear defects, likely dislocation lines. The conclusion is made in the article that the scanning mid-IR-laser microscopy may serve as very effective tool for defect investigations in materials for modern photovoltaics.
A method of scanning mid-IR-laser microscopy has recently been proposed for the investigation of large-scale electrically and recombination-active defects in semiconductors and non-destructive inspection of semiconductor materials and structures in the industries of microelectronics and photovoltaics. The basis for this development was laid with a wide cycle of investigations on low-angle mid-IR-light scattering in semiconductors. The essence of the technical idea was to apply the dark-field method for spatial filtering of the scattered light in the scanning mid-IR-laser microscope together wi…
The scanning mid-IR-laser microscopy was previously demonstrated as an effective tool for characterization of different semiconductor crystals. Now the technique has been successfully applied for the investigation of CZ Si$_x$Ge$_{1-x}$---a promising material for photovoltaics---and multicrystalline silicon for solar cells.
A simple, reliable method for preparation of bulk Cr tips for Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) is proposed and its potentialities in performing high-quality and high-resolution STM and Spin Polarized-STM (SP-STM) are investigated. Cr tips show atomic resolution on ordered surfaces. Contrary to what happens with conventional W tips, rest atoms of the Si(111)-7x7 reconstruction can be routinely observed, probably due to a different electronic structure of the tip apex. SP-STM measurements of the Cr(001) surface showing magnetic contrast are reported. Our results reveal that the peculiar prope…
Efficient imaging of biomolecules, 2D materials and electromagnetic fields depends on retrieval of the phase of transmitted electrons. We demonstrate a method to measure phase in a scanning transmission electron microscope using a nanofabricated diffraction grating to produce multiple probe beams. The measured phase is more interpretable than phase-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy techniques without an off-axis reference wave, and the resolution could surpass that of off-axis electron holography. We apply the technique to image nanoparticles, carbon sub- strates and electric …
Sample thickness is an important parameter in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging, for interpreting image contrast and understanding the relationship between properties and microstructure. In this study, we introduce a method for determining thickness in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) mode based on scanning moiré fringe (SMF). Sample thickness can be determined in situ in the medium magnification using focal-series SMF imaging, with beam damage and contamination avoided to a large extent. This method provides a fast and convenient way for determining thickness in T…
Electronic conduction pathways in dielectric thin films are explored using automated experiments in scanning probe microscopy (SPM). Here, we use large field of view scanning to identify the position of localized conductive spots and develop a SPM workflow to probe their dynamic behavior at higher spatial resolution as a function of time, voltage, and scanning process in an automated fashion. Using this approach, we observe the variable behaviors of the conductive spots in a 20 nm thick ferroelectric Hf0.54Zr0.48O2 film, where conductive spots disappear and reappear during continuous scanning.…
Electronic transport in semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes is studied by combined scanning gate microscopy and scanning impedance microscopy (SIM). Depending on the probe potential, SIM can be performed in both invasive and non-invasive mode. High-resolution imaging of the defects is achieved when the probe acts as a local gate and simultaneously an electrostatic probe of local potential. A class of weak defects becomes observable even if they are located in the vicinity of strong defects. The imaging mechanism of tip-gating scanning impedance microscopy is discussed.
Unwanted motion of the probe with respect to the sample is a ubiquitous problem in scanning probe microscopy, causing both linear and nonlinear artifacts in experimental images. We have designed a procedure to correct these artifacts by using orthogonal scan pairs to align each measurement line-by-line along the slow scan direction. We demonstrate the accuracy of our algorithm on both synthetic and experimental data and provide an implementation of our method.
Cesium adsorption structures on Ag(111) were characterized in a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy experiment. At low coverages, atomic resolution of individual Cs atoms is occasionally suppressed in regions of an otherwise hexagonally ordered adsorbate film on terraces. Close to step edges Cs atoms appear as elongated protrusions along the step edge direction. At higher coverages, Cs superstructures with atomically resolved hexagonal lattices are observed. Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations model the observed adsorbate structures on a qualitative level.
We present numerical simulations of scattering-type Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy (s-SNOM) of 1D plasmonic graphene junctions. A comprehensive analysis of simulated s-SNOM spectra is performed for three types of junctions. We find conditions when the conventional interpretation of the plasmon reflection coefficients from s-SNOM measurements does not apply. Our results are applicable to other conducting 2D materials and provide a comprehensive understanding of the s-SNOM techniques for probing local transport properties of 2D materials.
We have performed scanning capacitance microscopy using a relaxation oscillator. Precision calibrations indicate a sensitivity on the order of 0.05 pF. Surface topography of metallic structures, such as machined grooves and coins, can be readily obtained either in the constant-height (non-contact) or tapping (contact) mode. Spatial resolution of sub-50 $μ$m has been achieved.
The graphene moire structures on metals, as they demonstrate both long (moire) and short (atomic) scale ordered structures, are the ideal systems for the application of scanning probe methods. Here we present the complex studies of the graphene/Ir(111) system by means of 3D scanning tunnelling and atomic force microscopy/spectroscopy as well as Kelvin-probe force microscopy. All results clearly demonstrate a variation of the moire and atomic scale contrasts as a function of the bias voltage as well as the distance between the scanning probe and the sample, allowing to discriminate between topo…
Atomically resolved images of monolayer organic crystals have only been obtained with scanning probe methods so far. On the one hand, they are usually prepared on surfaces of bulk materials, which are not accessible by (scanning) transmission electron microscopy. On the other hand, the critical electron dose of a monolayer organic crystal is orders of magnitudes lower than the one for bulk crystals, making (scanning) transmission electron microscopy characterization very challenging. In this work we present an atomically resolved study on the dynamics of a monolayer CuPcCl\textsubscript{16} cr…
We describe the near-field microwave microscopy of microwave devices on a length scale much smaller than the wavelength used for imaging. Our microscope can be operated in two possible configurations, allowing a quantitative study of either material properties or local electric fields.
We have investigated the growth of antiferromagnetic Mn3N2(001) on MgO (001) by molecular beam epitaxy and scanning tunneling microscopy . The images show smooth terraces and atomic steps. On some of the terraces a unique and new reconstruction is seen, resolved as square Mn tetramers in a c(4x2) structural arrangement. Two domains of the tetramer reconstruction, rotated by 90$^\circ$ to each other, occur. A model is presented for this square Mn tetramer reconstruction, in which the Mn atoms of the tetramer layer belong to the Mn layer at the surface in the MnN-MnN-Mn stacking sequence.
The thermal properties of amorphous and crystalline phases in chalcogenide phase change materials (PCM) play a key role in device performance for non-volatile random-access memory. Here, we report the nanothermal morphology of amorphous and crystalline phases in laser pulsed GeTe and Ge2Sb2Te5 thin films by scanning thermal microscopy (SThM). By performing SThM measurements and applying quantitative physical models to two film thicknesses, the PCM thermal conductivities and thermal boundary conductances between the PCM and SThM probe are independently estimated for the amorphous and crystallin…
In this study, we have used a Zr-Nb alloy containing well-defined nano-precipitates as a model material in which to study imaging contrast inversions (atomic number or diffraction contrast) observed with the forescattered electron imaging system, ARGUSTM, in a scanning electron microscope (SEM) when imaging a thin foil in a transmission geometry. The study is based on Monte Carlo simulations and analysis of micrographs experimentally acquired under different imaging conditions. Based on the results, imaging conditions that enhance atomic number or diffraction contrast have been proposed. Data …
We use a near-field scanning microwave microscope to simultaneously image the dielectric constant, loss tangent, and topography in a PbTiO_3 crystal. By this method, we study the effects of the local dielectric constant and loss tangent in the geometry of periodic domains on the measured resonant frequency, and quality factor. We also carry out theoretical calculations and the results agree well with the experimental data and reveal the anisotropic nature of dielectric constant.
Scanning tunneling microscopy images of hydrogen-terminated Si(110) surfaces are studied using first-principles calculations. Our results show that the calculated filled-state images and local density of states are consistent with recent experimental results, and the empty-state images appear significantly different from the filled-state ones. To elucidate the origin of this difference, we examined in detail the local density of states, which affects the images, and found that the bonding and antibonding states of surface silicon atoms largely affect the difference between the filled- and empt…
We present a theory and a simulation of thermal diffuse scattering due to the excitation of magnons in scanning transmission electron microscopy. The calculations indicate that magnons can present atomic contrast when detected by electron energy-loss spectroscopy using atomic-size electron beams. The results presented here indicate that the intensity of the magnon diffuse scattering in bcc iron at 300~K is 4 orders of magnitude weaker than the intensity of thermal diffuse scattering arising from atomic vibrations. In an energy range where the phonon and magnon dispersions do not overlap, a mon…
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and diffraction (XPS, XPD) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) have been used for study of NbOx-structures on the Nb(110) surface. It is shown that niobium atoms are ordered to form a two-dimensional superstructure with equidistant spacing between the chains of niobium atoms. Chemical shifts of Nb3d- and O1s-levels demonstrate that the oxide layer corresponds to niobium monoxide NbO and the most part of oxygen in chemisorbed state is localized on the surface. A model of quasi-ordered structure of NbO on the Nb(110) surface is proposed.
Spatially resolved photocurrent measurements on carbon nanotube field-effect transistors (CNFETs) operated in various transport regimes are reported. It is demonstrated that the photocurrents measured at different biasing conditions provide access to the electronic band structure profile of the nanotube channel. A comparison of the profiles with the device switched into n- or p-type states clearly evidences the impact of chemical doping from the ambient. Moreover, we show that scanning photocurrent microscopy constitutes an effective and facile technique for the quantitative determination of t…
As a consequence of elasticity, mechanical deformations of crystals occur on a length scale comparable to their thickness. This is exemplified by applying a homogeneous electric field to a multi-domain ferroelectric crystal: as one domain is expanding the adjacent ones are contracting, leading to clamping at the domain boundaries. The piezomechanically driven surface corrugation of micron-sized domain patterns in thick crystals using large-area top electrodes is thus drastically suppressed, barely accessible by means of piezoresponse force microscopy.
We predict the occurrence of metastable skyrmionic spin structures such as antiskyrmions and higher-order skyrmions in ultra-thin transition-metal films at surfaces using Monte Carlo simulations based on a spin Hamiltonian parametrized from density functional theory calculations. We show that such spin structures will appear with a similar contrast in spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy (SP-STM) images. Both skyrmions and antiskyrmions display a circular shape for out-of-plane magnetized tips and a two-lobe butterfly contrast for in-plane tips. An unambiguous distinction can be achiev…
We show scanning probe microscopy measurements of metallic nanocontacts between controlled electromigration cycles. The nanowires used for the thinning process are fabricated by shadow evaporation. The highest resolution obtained using scanning force microscopy is about 3 nm. During the first few electromigration cycles the overall slit structure of the nanocontact is formed. The slit first passes along grain boundaries and then at a later stage vertically splits grains in the course of consuming them. We find that first the whole wire is heated and later during the thinning process as the sli…
The work describes the capabilities of Laser Scanning Microscopy (LSM) as a spatially resolved method of testing high_Tc materials and devices. The earlier results obtained by the authors are briefly reviewed. Some novel applications of the LSM are illustrated, including imaging the HTS responses in rf mode, probing the superconducting properties of HTS single crystals, development of twobeam laser scanning microscopy. The existence of the phase slip lines mechanism of resistivity in HTS materials is proven by LSM imaging.
Ag atoms have been deposited on 3x3 silicene and R3xR3 silicene films by molecular beam epitaxy method in ultrahigh vacuum. Using scanning tunneling microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, we found that Ag atoms do not form chemical bonds with both 3x3 silicene and R3xR3 silicene films,which is due to chemically inert surface of silicene. On 3x3 silicene films, Ag atoms mostly form into stable flat top Ag islands. In contrast, Ag atoms form nanoclusters and glide on silicene films, suggesting more inert nature. Raman spectroscopy suggests that there is more sp2 hybridization in R3xR3 than in R7xR7/…
Graphene grown epitaxially on SiC has been proposed as a material for carbon-based electronics. Understanding the interface between graphene and the SiC substrate will be important for future applications. We report the ability to image the interface structure beneath single-layer graphene using scanning tunneling microscopy. Such imaging is possible because the graphene appears transparent at energies of 1 eV above or below the Fermi energy. Our analysis of calculations based on density functional theory shows how this transparency arises from the electronic structure of a graphene layer on a…
Using scanning tunneling microscopy at low temperatures we investigated the adsorbate system Cu(111)-Cs for various cesium coverages. At low coverages we observe a hexagonally ordered Cs adsorption layer with a mutual adsorbate distance of 1.1 nm. This distance is discussed in terms of a commensurate adsorption superstructure which is stabilized by long-range adsorbate interactions mediated by Cu(111) surface state electrons. Intermediate coverages are characterized by incommensurate superstructures which are rotated with respect to the substrate lattice. The rotation behavior at 9K follows a …
Image simulation for scanning transmission electron microscopy at atomic resolution for samples with realistic dimensions can require very large computation times using existing simulation algorithms. We present a new algorithm named PRISM that combines features of the two most commonly used algorithms, the Bloch wave and multislice methods. PRISM uses a Fourier interpolation factor $f$ that has typical values of 4-20 for atomic resolution simulations. We show that in many cases PRISM can provide a speedup that scales with $f^4$ compared to multislice simulations, with a negligible loss of acc…
We show that a scanning capacitance microscope (SCM) can image buried delta-doped donor nanostructures fabricated in Si via a recently developed atomic-precision scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) lithography technique. A critical challenge in completing atomic-precision nanoelectronic devices is to accurately align mesoscopic metal contacts to the STM defined nanostructures. Utilizing the SCMs ability to image buried dopant nanostructures, we have developed a technique by which we are able to position metal electrodes on the surface to form contacts to underlying STM fabricated donor nanostr…
We propose a new analysis approach for scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) based on the Voronoi-cell integration method to determine the three-dimensional position of the InZn and VZn defect complex in ZnO. Using state of the art simulation software and hardware, we propose using a method of calculating Michelson Contrast on simulated images to determine the optimal acceptance angles to use in an experimental setting. The effect of defect position, DFT-relaxation and cooling the sample to liquid nitrogen temperatures is investigated. DFT-relaxation is shown to be of consequence to…
Ferroelectric domain nucleation and growth in multiferroic BiFeO3 films is observed directly by applying a local electric field with a conductive tip inside a scanning transmission electron microscope. The nucleation and growth of a ferroelastic domain and its interaction with pre-existing 71^{\circ} domain walls are observed and compared with the results of phase-field modeling. In particular, a preferential nucleation site and direction-dependent pinning of domain walls is observed due to slow kinetics of metastable switching in the sample without a bottom electrode. These in-situ spatially-…
An individual Mn acceptor in GaAs is mapped by Cross-sectional Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (X-STM) at room temperature and a strongly anisotropic shape of the acceptor state is observed. An acceptor state manifests itself as a cross-like feature which we attribute to a valence hole weakly bound to the Mn ion forming the (Mn$^{2+}3d^5+hole$) complex. We propose that the observed anisotropy of the Mn acceptor wave-function is due to the d-wave present in the acceptor ground state.
We report on state-of-the-art scanning probe microscopy measurements performed in a pulse tube based top-loading closed-cycle cryostat with a base temperature of 4 K and a 9 T magnet. We decoupled the sample space from the mechanical and acoustic noise from the cryocooling system to enable scanning probe experiments. The extremely low vibration amplitudes in our system enabled successful imaging of 0.39 nm lattice steps on single crystalline SrTiO$_{3}$ as well as magnetic vortices in Bi$_{2}$Sr$_{2}$CaCu$_{2}$O$_{8+x}$ superconductor. Fine control over sample temperature and applied magnetic …
We present a full analysis of the contrast mechanisms for the detection of ferroelectric domains on all faces of bulk single crystals using scanning force microscopy exemplified on hexagonally poled lithium niobate. The domain contrast can be attributed to three different mechanisms: i) the thickness change of the sample due to an out-of-plane piezoelectric response (standard piezoresponse force microscopy), ii) the lateral displacement of the sample surface due to an in-plane piezoresponse, and iii) the electrostatic tip-sample interaction at the domain boundaries caused by surface charges on…
We have performed the most realistic simulation to date of the operation of a scanning tunneling microscope. Probe-sample distances from beyond tunneling to actual surface contact are covered. We simultaneously calculate forces, atomic displacements, and tunneling currents, allowing quantitative comparison with experimental values. A distance regime below which the probe becomes unstable is identified. It is shown that the real distance differs substantially from previous estimates because of large atomic displacements on the surface and at the probe-tip.
In this $\ll$ contribution we address the question to what extent surface charges affect contact-mode scanning force microscopy measurements. % We therefore designed samples where we could generate localized electric field distributions near the surface as and when required. % We performed a series of experiments where we varied the load of the tip, the stiffness of the cantilever and the hardness of the sample surface. % It turned out that only for soft cantilevers could an electrostatic interaction between tip and surface charges be detected, irrespective of the surface properties, i.\,e. ba…
PICTS: A Novel Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach for Dynamic P-I Control in Scanning Probe Microscopy
National University of Singapore（新加坡国立大学）；Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, Agencies of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)（新加坡科技研究局材料研究与工程研究所）；NUS Research Institute (NUSRI)（新加坡国立大学研究院）
Here a new microscopic method is proposed to image and characterize very thin samples like few-layer materials, organic molecules, and nanostructures with nanometer or sub-nanometer resolution using electron beams of energies lower than 20 eV. The microscopic technique achieves high resolution through the proximity (or near-field) effect, as in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), while it also allows detection of transmitted electrons for imaging and spectroscopy, as in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). This proximity transmission electron microscopy (PSTEM) does not require a…
Complex oxide interfaces have been one of the central focuses in condensed matter physics and material science. Over the past decade, aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and spectroscopy has proven to be invaluable to visualize and understand the emerging quantum phenomena at an interface. In this paper, we briefly review some recent progress in the utilization of electron microscopy to probe interfaces. Specifically, we discuss several important challenges for electron microscopy to advance our understanding on interface phenomena, from the perspective of variable t…
Epitaxial graphene grown on transition metal surfaces typically exhibits a moiré pattern due to the lattice mismatch between graphene and the underlying metal surface. We use both scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments to probe the electronic and topographic contrast of the graphene moiré on the Ir(111) surface. While STM topography is influenced by the local density of states close to the Fermi energy and the local tunneling barrier height, AFM is capable of yielding the 'true' surface topography once the background force arising from the van der Waa…
A carbon nanotube (CNT) tip was fabricated at the apex of an etched tungsten wire by chemical vapor deposition and used for scanning tunneling microscopy. The honeycomb lattice of graphite in the STM images was resolved with a CNT tip at T=79 K. The superior spatial resolution originating from the p orbitals of a CNT is responsible for the image of the honeycomb lattice of graphite in the STM images. The CNT tips are useful to image samples whose lattice constants are small and to get orbital information in samples with orbital ordering due to their superior spatial resolution with the sharp p…
Nanoscale 3D surface modifications, by scanning tunneling microscopy under ambient conditions, of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films have been performed. It was demonstrated that there are well defined combinations of bias voltages and scan speeds which allow for controlled surface structuring. Lateral structures with sizes down to 1.5 nm are possible to obtain. Moreover, it is possible to reproducibly control the depth of etching with half a unit cell precision, enabling design of 3D surface structures and control of the surface termination of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 through etching.
We have developed a method for depositing graphene monolayers and bilayers with minimum lateral dimensions of 2-10 nm by the mechanical exfoliation of graphite onto the Si(100)-2x1:H surface. Room temperature, ultra-high vacuum (UHV) tunnelling spectroscopy measurements of nanometer-sized single-layer graphene reveal a size dependent energy gap ranging from 0.1-1 eV. Furthermore, the number of graphene layers can be directly determined from scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) topographic contours. This atomistic study provides an experimental basis for probing the electronic structure of nano…
The mechanisms underlying the intrinsic photoresponse of few-layer (FL) molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) field-effect transistors are investigated via scanning photocurrent microscopy. We attribute the locally enhanced photocurrent to band-bending assisted separation of photoexcited carriers at the MoS2/Au interface. The wavelength-dependent photocurrents of few layer MoS2 transistors qualitatively follow the optical absorption spectra of MoS2, providing direct evidence of interband photoexcitation. Time and spectrally resolved photocurrent measurements at varying external electric fields and carr…
We apply high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy to study intrinsic defect states of bulk FeSe. Four types of intrinsic defects including the type I dumbbell, type II dumbbell, top-layer Se vacancy and inner-layer Se-site defect are extensively analyzed by scanning tunneling spectroscopy. From characterized depression and enhancement of density of states measured in a large energy range, the type I dumbbell and type II dumbbell are determined to be the Fe vacancy and Se$_\mathrm{Fe}$ defect, respectively. The top-layer Se vacancy and possible inner-layer Se-site vacancy are also determin…
Using low energy electron diffraction (LEED), scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) techniques, we have studied the first steps of silicon adsorption onto Cu (001) single crystal substrate. For low coverage (~ 0.5 ML) and after annealing at 100°C, STM images and LEED patterns reveal the formation of an ordered quasi commensurate superstructure. From a quantitative analysis of XAS data, we extract the Si-Cu distance and detail the local atomic arrangement of the structure.
A sparse modeling approach is proposed for analyzing scanning tunneling microscopy topography data, which contains numerous peaks corresponding to surface atoms. The method, based on the relevance vector machine with $\mathrm{L}_1$ regularization and $k$-means clustering, enables separation of the peaks and atomic center positioning with accuracy beyond the resolution of the measurement grid. The validity and efficiency of the proposed method are demonstrated using synthetic data in comparison to the conventional least-square method. An application of the proposed method to experimental data o…
Thermal fluctuation of the cantilever position sets a fundamental limit for the precision of any Scanning Force Microscope. In the present work we analyse how these fluctuations limit the determination of the resonance frequency of the tip-sample system. The basic principles of frequency detection in Dynamic Scanning Force Microscopy are revised and the precise response of a typical frequency detection unit to thermal fluctuation of the cantilever is analysed in detail. A general relation for thermal frequency noise is found as a function of measurement bandwidth and cantilever oscillation. Fo…
Due to its ultrahigh electron transmissivity in a wide electron energy range, molecular impermeability, high electrical conductivity and excellent mechanical stiffness the suspended graphene membranes appear to be a nearly ideal window material for in situ (in vivo) environmental electron microscopy of nano- and mesoscopic objects (including bio-medical samples) immersed in liquids and/or in dense gaseous media. In this communication, taking advantage of little modification of the graphene transfer protocol on to metallic and SiN supporting orifices, the reusable environmental cells with excha…
We show that scanning electron microscopy with polarization analysis (SEMPA) that is sensitive to both in-plane magnetization components can be used to image the out-of-plane magnetized multi-domain state in multilayered chiral spin textures. By depositing a thin layer of Fe on top of the multilayer we image the underlying out-of-plane domain state through the mapping of its stray fields in the Fe. We also demonstrate that SEMPA can be used to image the domain wall chirality in these systems after milling away the capping layer and imaging the topmost magnetic layer directly.
The growth and atomic/electronic structure of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown ErAs nanoparticles and nanorods embedded within a GaAs matrix are examined for the first time via cross-sectional scanning tunneling microscopy (XSTM) and spectroscopy (XSTS). Cross sections enable the interrogation of the internal structure and are well suited for studying embedded nanostructures. The early stages of embedded ErAs nanostructure growth are examined via these techniques and compared with previous cross sectional TEM work. Tunneling spectroscopy I(V) for both ErAs nanoparticles and nanorods was also…
A universal challenge facing the development of electrochemical materials is our lack of understanding of physical and chemical processes at local length scales in 10-100 nm regime, and acquiring this understanding requires a new generation of imaging techniques. In this article, we introduce the scanning thermo-ionic microscopy (STIM) for probing local electrochemistry at the nanoscale, using for imaging the Vegard strain induced via thermal stress excitations. Since ionic oscillation is driven by the stress instead of voltage, the responses are insensitive to the electromechanical, electrost…
At submonolayer coverage, Mn forms atomic wires on the Si(001) surface oriented perpendicular to the underlying Si dimer rows. While many other elements form symmetric dimer wires at room temperature, we show that Mn wires have an asymmetric appearance and pin the Si dimers nearby. We find that an atomic configuration with a Mn trimer unit cell can explain these observations due to the interplay between the Si dimer buckling phase near the wire and the orientation of the Mn trimer. We study the resulting four wire configurations in detail using high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy (ST…
