Atomic modification of stepped metal surfaces using vertical single-atom manipulation with a trimer-apex tip: First-principles and semiempirical simulations

We propose a controlled method to modify the atomic step of an Al(111) surface with atomic precision using the tip of the scanning probe microscope by first-principles molecular static simulations. Single atoms can be extracted vertically and repositioned at a mono-atomic step of an Al(111) surface...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Surface & coatings technology 2010-07, Vol.204 (20), p.3254-3257
Main Authors: Xie, Y.Q., Liu, F., Huang, L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminium
Aluminum
Atomic force microscopy
Coatings
Computing simulations
Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science
rheology
Exact sciences and technology
Materials science
Metal surfaces
Physics
Platinum
Scanning probe microscopes
Simulation
Single crystal surface
Single-atom manipulation
Stepped
Surface treatments
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Summary:We propose a controlled method to modify the atomic step of an Al(111) surface with atomic precision using the tip of the scanning probe microscope by first-principles molecular static simulations. Single atoms can be extracted vertically and repositioned at a mono-atomic step of an Al(111) surface using vertical single-atom manipulation with an Al trimer-apex tip. This reversible process uses only atomic tip–surface interactions and allows the precision modification of the metal surface at the atomic scale. The method is also applicable to multi-atomic steps and to the other stepped metal surfaces like Pt(111) according to our semiempirical simulations using embedded-atom-method potentials.
ISSN:0257-8972
1879-3347
DOI:10.1016/j.surfcoat.2010.03.025