Field Emission Current-Voltage Curves as a Diagnostic for Scanning Tunneling Microscope Tips

Abstract

The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of a low temperature ultrahigh vacuum scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip positioned >100 A from a planar surface have been recorded. We find curvature in the Fowler-Nordheim plots (log10 I vs. 1 ) due to the tip-plane geometry as has been predicted V2 V theoretically. Additionally, oscillations and sharp -breaks in these I-V curves are observed over a wide voltage range, 50-1000 V. These I-V curves are used to characterize the STM tips prior to tunneling.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1991
Accession Number
ADA251171

Entities

People

  • J. A. Meyer
  • J. B. Wang
  • Paul S. Weiss
  • S. J. Stranick

Organizations

  • Pennsylvania State University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chemistry
  • Curvature
  • Electric Fields
  • Electron Microscopes
  • Emission
  • Emitters
  • Field Emission
  • Geometry
  • Measurement
  • Microscopes
  • Microscopy
  • Oscillation
  • Plane Geometry
  • Quantum Tunneling
  • Scanning Electron Microscopes
  • Space Charge
  • Tunneling

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Nanoscale Plasmonic Nanotechnology
  • Plasma Physics.