NANOSCALE SEMICONDUCTOR INTERFACE CHARACTERIZATION BY PHOTO-STM

Research Ne,vs: Photovoltage images of semiconductor surfaces, obtaine d using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), can provide valuable in formation about the electronic properties of the semiconductor interfa ce. The advantages of photo-STM, a technique that enables images of th e photocurrent together with the topography of a semiconductor sample to be recorded using a commercial STM, are discussed. For example, dir ect observation of different physical phenomena with nanometer resolut ion is possible and space-charge regions can easily be detected.