Nanofaceting of the LiNbO3 surface studied by scanning tunneling microscopy

The surfaces of LiNbO3 single crystals have been studied using scanning tun neling microscopy and tunneling spectroscopy. Vacuum reduction was used to provide sufficient conductivity for tunneling. After reduction, the surface s are dominated by nanoscale. Auger shows the structures to be related to p recipitated suboxides of LiNbO3 which can be correlated to asymmetries in L i diffusion within the bulk crystal. These surface nanophases have electron ic properties which are strongly dependent on the frequency of applied elec tric fields. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)04401-0 ].