Stable contrast mode on TiO2(110) surface with metal-coated tips using AFM

• Published in: Ultramicroscopy 2018-08, Vol.191, p.51-55
• Main Authors: Li, Yan Jun, Wen, Huanfei, Zhang, Quanzhen, Adachi, Yuuki, Arima, Eiji, Kinoshita, Yukinori, Nomura, Hikaru, Ma, Zongmin, Kou, Lili, Tsukuda, Yoshihiro, Naitoh, Yoshitaka, Sugawara, Yasuhiro, Xu, Rui, Cheng, Zhihai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atomic force microscopy (AFM); Stable contrast mode; TiO2 surface
• ISSN: 0304-3991; 1879-2723
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ultramic.2018.04.003

•A method for obtaining a stable contrast mode on a TiO2(110) surface is investigated.•A stable contrast rate of ∼95% is obtained with a W-coated Si cantilever.•A stable tip apex is critical for elucidating the real geometry of a surface.•The frequency shift and tunnelling current can be simultaneously measured.•The proposed method can be used to investigate the catalytic activity. We investigated a method to obtain a stable contrast mode on the TiO2(110) surface. The stable contrast rate is approximately 95% with a W-coated Si cantilever, which demonstrates that a stable tip apex plays an important role to obtain the real geometry of the surface during atomic force microscopy measurement. Information related to surface structure and tunnelling current on the TiO2(110) surface can be obtained by the W-coated Si cantilever. It is possible to investigate the electronic structure and surface potential on the TiO2(110) surface with atomic resolution. In particular, the proposed method could be widely applied to investigate the catalytic activity and the mechanism of a catalytic reaction by a metal-coated tip in the future.