Image of the Month

Microscope:
SEM Column in RHK’s UHV AFM/STM/SEM

Controls:
SPM 1000 Control System featuring XPMProTM

Description :
SEM images of two STM tips in the RHK afm/stm/SEM system. The first STM probe crashed into a non-conducting surface which was unable to produce a tunneling current for feedback. However, RHK’s patented insitu tip replacement process allowed the researcher to be back up and running in 5 minutes, saving valuable scan time.

Courtesy of: Zhouhang Wang and Sergiy Pryadkin – RHK Technology, Inc.

Microscope:
Homebuilt Ambient STM

Controls:
SPM 1000 Control System

Description :
Imaging Conditions –
-1.0 V, 10pA

Polydiacetylene nanowires can be formed by polymerizing a well-ordered monolayer of diacetylene derivative molecules. This image shows the nanowires as bright structures along with the unpolymerized molecules that appear as stripes in the background. The diacetylene derivative molecules (10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid) were deposited using a Langmuir-Schaefer technique and transferred to the graphite substrate. The monolayer was then polymerized by exposure to UV light (254 nm) to form polydiacetylene nanowires on the surface.

Courtesy of: Rajiv Giridharagopal and Kevin F. Kelly, Rice University

Microscope:
RHK Technology UHV 750

Controls:
SPM 1000 Control System

Description :
STM image of an adalyer of yet undetermined species on Pd(111). The atomic corrugation along the rows is merely 15 pm. Imaging conditions are V=22.8 mV, I=1.01 nA.

Courtesy of: Jorge Anibal Boscoboinik and Wilfred T. Tysoe of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Microscope:
RHK Technology UHV 350

Controls:
SPM 1000 Control System

Description :
Conductive probe atomic / friction force microscopy on silicon pn junction – Topographic, current, and friction images taken at the sample bias of +4V and -4V in contact AFM mode.

Jeong Young Park, Yabing Qi, D. F. Ogletree, P. A. Thiel, and M. Salmeron
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley and Ames Laboratory, Iowa State University

Microscope:
Homebuilt Low Temperature Microscope

Controls:
SPM 1000 Control System W/PLLPro AFM Controller

Description :
Cu(111) imaged with V=20 mV and I=0.3 nA. A defect at the top part of the image produces a standing charge wave with 10 pm corrugation. The underlying copper lattice displays 2 pm corrugation.

B. Albers and U. D. Schwarz – Department of Mechanical Engineering and Center for Research on Interface Structures and Phenomena (CRISP), Yale University

Microscope:
Homebuilt Low Temperature Microscope

Controls:
SPM 1000 Control System

Description :
Manipulated single azobenzene molecule using several different techniques with a low temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM).

Operating at a temperature of 34K the isolated azobenzene molecules on the Au(111) surface are selectively and reversibly switched by a 1 microsecond long, -3 V pulse. The imaging parameters are -1.25V, 50 pA.

M. Crommie, M. Comstock, J. Cho, A. Kirakosian

University of California, Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab

Microscope:
RHK QuadraProbe Four-Point Cryogenic Multisystem

Controls:
SPM 1000 Control System

Description :
STM image of yttrium nanowires grown on Si(100). Image was taken at 10 K Sample bias: 2.0 V Tunneling current: 0.18 nA Scan size: 140 nm x 140 nm

Tae-Hwan Kim, An-Ping Li and John Wendelken Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Microscope:
USM-1300

Controls:
SPM 1000 Control System

Description :
Bismuth Strontium Calcium Copper Oxide (BSCCO) superconductor imaged at 6K Francis Niestemski, Shankar Kunwar and Vidya Madhavan

Boston College

Microscope:
Home Built VT UHV Besocke Style STM

Controls:
SPM 1000 Control System

Description :
A full coverage of methyl bromide molecules adsorbed onto a Pt(111) surface. The unit cell of the (6×3) arrangment (outlined in red), occupies two top sites and two three fold hollow sites, where all molecules are alinged with the C-Br bond parallel to the surface normal.

T. Schwendemann & T. Kunstmann – University of Virginia

Microscope:
RHK Technology UHV 300

Controls:
SPM 1000 Control System

Description:
Si(111) 7×7 reconstruction imaged at 1000 K. The lack of distortion in the unit cell illustrates minimal thermal drift exists at this elevated temperature.

Dr. Xue Kun, Prof. Xu Jian Bin – The Chinese University of Hong Kong