Inelastic interactions of tunnel electrons with surfaces

Inelastic interactions of electrons emitted from the tip of a scanning tunn elling microscope (STM) are used to desorb individual hydrogen atoms from a Ge(111) surface. It is observed that the inelastic interactions depend not only on the electron energy and the current intensity but also on the elec tron emission regime of the STM tip. Quite surprisingly, it is found that t unnel electrons interact inelastically much less efficiently than field emi tted electrons even though the electrons are in resonance with the Ge-H uno ccuppied orbital.