Superconducting niobium tip for scanning tunneling microscope light emission spectroscopy

Authors
Uehara, Y Fujita, T Iwami, M Ushioda, S
Citation
Y. Uehara et al., Superconducting niobium tip for scanning tunneling microscope light emission spectroscopy, REV SCI INS, 72(4), 2001, pp. 2097-2099
Citations number
14
Categorie Soggetti
Spectroscopy /Instrumentation/Analytical Sciences","Instrumentation & Measurement
Journal title
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
ISSN journal
00346748 → ACNP
Volume
72
Issue
4
Year of publication
2001
Pages
2097 - 2099
Database
ISI
SICI code
0034-6748(200104)72:4<2097:SNTFST>2.0.ZU;2-3
Abstract
Niobium tips for use in scanning tunneling microscope (STM) light emission measurements have been fabricated by an electrochemical etching method. The typical radius of curvature of the tip is less than 100 nm. The Nb tip has been demonstrated to be capable of producing STM images of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and Au(110)-(2x1) surfaces with atomic spatial resoluti on. It has been confirmed by STM light emission spectroscopy that the front of the Nb tip becomes superconducting for temperatures below the supercond ucting transition temperature of Nb. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics .