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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik

O 35: Poster Session I (Scanning probe methods)

O 35.2: Poster

Dienstag, 15. März 2011, 18:30–22:00, P3

Electronic regulation in the etching process for STM-tips — •Volkmar Heß, Wolfgang Rosellen, and Mathias Getzlaff — Institute of Applied Physics,University Duesseldorf

The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) became one of the most important instruments for the surface science community because it enables the imaging with atomic resolution. The probe tip itself has crucial influence on the success of STM experiments. There are many routes to produce tips such as etching or cutting. In this contribution we report on the set up of an electronic circuit which should improve the quality and the reproducibility of etched tips. This should be archieved by immediate cut off the etching current after the tip dropped off. Former experiments showed a clear relation between cut-off time and tip radius. The functional properties of the electronic circuit were characterized by means of an analog-digital-converter. Furthermore, the influence of other parameters like etching potential and different etching solutions on the shape of tips were analyzed. Subsequently the tips were characterized with an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope and compared to commercially offered tips.