Reversal of atomic contrast in scanning probe microscopy on (111) metal surfaces

0374985 - FZÚ 2012 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Ondráček, Martin - González, C. - Jelínek, Pavel
Reversal of atomic contrast in scanning probe microscopy on (111) metal surfaces.
Journal of Physics-Condensed Matter. Roč. 24, 08 (2012), 084003/1-084003/7. ISSN 0953-8984. E-ISSN 1361-648X
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GPP204/11/P578; GA ČR GAP204/10/0952; GA ČR GA202/09/0545; GA MŠMT(CZ) ME10076
Grant - others:AVČR(CZ) M100100904
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10100521
Keywords : atomic force microscopy * metallic surfaces * atomic contrast * scanning tunneling microscopy
Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism
Impact factor: 2.355, year: 2012
http://iopscience.iop.org/0953-8984/24/8/084003

We studied the origin of atomic contrast on Cu(111) and Pt(111) surfaces probed by a non-contact atomic force microscope and scanning tunnelling microscope. First-principles simulations of the interaction between the atoms of the scanning tip and those of the probed surface showed a dependence of the resulting contrast on the tip-sample distance and reveal a close relation between contrast changes and relaxation of atomic positions in both the tip and the sample. Contrast reversion around the distance where the short-range attractive atomic force reached its maximum was predicted for both types of microscopies. We also demonstrated a relation between the maximal attractive force in a force-distance atomic force spectroscopy and the chemical identity of the apex atom of the imaging tip.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0207769