Imaging atomic orbitals in STM experiments on a Si(111)-(7×7) surface

This manuscript addresses one of the lively topics of scanning tunnelling microscopy – imaging atomic orbitals and chemical bonds. We report on scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) studies demonstrating the subatomic features in the images of a Si(111)-(7×7) surface. The STM images with double atomi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Chemical physics letters 2008-03, Vol.453 (4-6), p.217-221
Main Authors: Chaika, A.N., Myagkov, A.N.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:This manuscript addresses one of the lively topics of scanning tunnelling microscopy – imaging atomic orbitals and chemical bonds. We report on scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) studies demonstrating the subatomic features in the images of a Si(111)-(7×7) surface. The STM images with double atomic features corresponding to individual surface adatoms were measured with a Si terminated tip at different bias voltages and tip-sample separations. The observed features related to the contribution of two dangling bonds of the silicon apex atom are qualitatively similar to the ones observed earlier in high resolution atomic force microscopy experiments [F.J. Giessibl, S. Hembacher, H. Bielefeldt, J. Mannhart, Science 289 (2000) 422]. The gap resistance dependence of the images demonstrates that the observed effect is more pronounced at small tip-surface separations and low bias voltages.
ISSN:0009-2614
1873-4448
DOI:10.1016/j.cplett.2008.01.025