Investigating atomic contrast in atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy on ionic systems using functionalized tips

Leo Gross, Bruno Schuler, Fabian Mohn, Nikolaj Moll, Niko Pavliček, Wolfram Steurer, Ivan Scivetti, Konstantinos Kotsis, Mats Persson, and Gerhard Meyer
Phys. Rev. B 90, 155455 – Published 30 October 2014

Abstract

Noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) have become important tools for nanotechnology; however, their contrast mechanisms on the atomic scale are not entirely understood. Here we used chlorine vacancies in NaCl bilayers on Cu(111) as a model system to investigate atomic contrast as a function of applied voltage, tip height, and tip functionalization. We demonstrate that the AFM contrast on the atomic scale decisively depends on both the tip termination and the sample voltage. On the contrary, the local contact potential difference acquired with KPFM showed the same qualitative contrast for all tip terminations investigated, which resembled the contrast of the electrostatic field of the sample. We find that the AFM contrast stems mainly from electrostatic interactions but its tip dependence cannot be explained by the tip dipole alone. With the aid of a simple electrostatic model and by density functional theory, we investigate the underlying contrast mechanisms.

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  • Received 30 March 2014
  • Revised 29 September 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.90.155455

©2014 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Leo Gross1,*, Bruno Schuler1, Fabian Mohn1,†, Nikolaj Moll1, Niko Pavliček1, Wolfram Steurer1, Ivan Scivetti2, Konstantinos Kotsis2, Mats Persson2, and Gerhard Meyer1

  • 1IBM Research–Zurich, 8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland
  • 2Surface Science Research Centre, Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3BX, United Kingdom

  • *lgr@zurich.ibm.com
  • Present address: ABB Corporate Research, 5405 Baden-Dättwil, Switzerland.

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Issue

Vol. 90, Iss. 15 — 15 October 2014

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