Image of the Month

July 2008

How flat is an air-cleaved mica surface?

institution

Microscope:
RHK UHV 7500

Controls:
SPM 1000 Control System

Description :
Large regularly shaped islands on air-cleaved mica surfaces after degassing in UHV at 473 K for 14 h recorded in the constant detuning mode. NC-AFM images recorded in the constant detuning mode. The profiles shown below the images are cross-sections taken along the indicated lines. (a) Island of 1.7 nm height with regular shape. Image taken at a detuning of -7.3 Hz and a bias voltage of 0 V. (b) Island of 5 nm height. The extended bright lobes in the centre of this structure are a scanning artefact. Image taken at a detuning of -4.0 Hz and a bias voltage of -1.3 V. (c) Zoom into the structure marked by the square in frame (b) revealing three terraces. Image taken at a detuning of -22.1 Hz and a bias voltage of 0 V.

Courtesy of:
F. Ostendorf, C. Schmitz, S. Hirth, A. Kuhnle, J. J. Kolodziej, and M. Reichling

Universitat Osnabruck, Research Centre for Nanometer-Scale Science and Advanced Materials (NANOSAM), and Jagiellonian University

Reference: Nanotechnology 19 (2008) 305705 (6pp)