EFFECTS OF INTERFACIAL-TENSION IN TUNNELING MICROSCOPY .1. THEORY

It is shown that variations in interfacial tension induced by the char ged tunneling tip may influence the lateral stability of imaged object s during scanning tunneling microscopy experiments on both solid and l iquid substrates. The induced interfacial tension gradient may also pl ay a dominating role in the mechanical stability of liquid substrates used for tunneling microscopy. The electrostatic model developed in th is work parallels the model of a polarized electrochemical interface. The interfacial tension effect is compared with another electrostatic effect: the interaction between the electric field and dipolar or char ged adsorbates.