Creating nanoscale pits on solid surfaces in aqueous environment with scanning tunnelling microscopy

• Published in: Surface science 2000-09, Vol.463 (2), p.L641-L648
• Main Authors: Chi, Qijin, Zhang, Jingdong, Friis, Esben P., Andersen, Jens E.T., Ulstrup, Jens
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Electrochemical methods; Electron, ion, and scanning probe microscopy; Exact sciences and technology; Physics; Scanning probe microscopy: scanning tunneling, atomic force, scanning optical, magnetic force, etc; Scanning tunneling microscopy; Solid surfaces and solid-solid interfaces; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Surface structure and topography; Surface structure, morphology, roughness, and topography; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties)
• ISSN: 0039-6028; 1879-2758
• DOI: 10.1016/S0039-6028(00)00546-X

A novel method has been developed to fabricate nanoscale pits on Au(111) in aqueous environments by in situ scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), based on critical interactions between tip and substrate. The most striking advantages of the present method are that the dimension and position of the pits can be controlled well in aqueous environments, and the operations are simple. Parameters affecting the pit formation and size have been systematically characterized to show that pit formation is dominated by bias voltage. A mechanism is proposed based on local surface reconstruction induced by electronic contact between tip and substrate.