Interplay of the tip-sample junction stability and image contrast reversal on a Cu(111) surface revealed by the 3D force field

Non-contact atomic force microscopy is used to measure the 3D force field on a dense-packed Cu(111) surface. An unexpected image contrast reversal is observed as the tip is moved towards the surface, with atoms appearing first as bright spots, whereas hollow and bridge sites turn bright at smaller t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nanotechnology 2012-02, Vol.23 (4), p.045705-1-6
Main Authors: Such, Bartosz, Glatzel, Thilo, Kawai, Shigeki, Meyer, Ernst, Turanský, Robert, Brndiar, Ján, Štich, Ivan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atomic force microscopy
COMPUTER SIMULATION
Gold
Image contrast
MATHEMATICAL ANALYSIS
Mathematical models
Nanotechnology
Stability
Three dimensional
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Summary:Non-contact atomic force microscopy is used to measure the 3D force field on a dense-packed Cu(111) surface. An unexpected image contrast reversal is observed as the tip is moved towards the surface, with atoms appearing first as bright spots, whereas hollow and bridge sites turn bright at smaller tip-sample distances. Computer modeling is used to elucidate the nature of the image contrast. We find that the contrast reversal is essentially a geometrical effect, which, unlike in gold, is observable in Cu due to an unusually large stability of the tip-sample junction over large distances.
ISSN:0957-4484
1361-6528
DOI:10.1088/0957-4484/23/4/045705