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Silicon Surface Conductance Investigated Using a Multiple-Probe Scanning Tunneling Microscope

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Book cover Atomic Scale Interconnection Machines

Part of the book series: Advances in Atom and Single Molecule Machines ((AASMM))

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Abstract

A custom-built multiple probe scanning tunneling microscope (STM) was used to perform measurements of the surface conductivity of Si(111)-7 × 7 and H–Si(111)-1 × 1 surfaces. Metallic contacts with points spaced <1 μm, deposited via electron-beam lithography, were used as contact points for two probes, while a central STM tip imaged the region between the contacts. A novel imaging method measuring the fraction of the tunneling current flowing to each contact was used to image surface conductivity with nanometer resolution. Si(111)-7 × 7 was shown to be significantly more conductive than H–Si(111)-1 × 1. Additionally, the resistance of single atomic steps on the Si(111)-7 × 7 was imaged using this method.

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Correspondence to Robert A. Wolkow .

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Zikovsky, J., Salomons, M.H., Dogel, S.A., Wolkow, R.A. (2012). Silicon Surface Conductance Investigated Using a Multiple-Probe Scanning Tunneling Microscope. In: Joachim, C. (eds) Atomic Scale Interconnection Machines. Advances in Atom and Single Molecule Machines. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28172-3_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28172-3_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-28171-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-28172-3

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