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Manipulation and Dynamics at the Atomic Scale: A Dual Use of the Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Patrici Molinàs-Mata, Andrew J. Mayne, and Gérald Dujardin
Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 3101 – Published 6 April 1998
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Abstract

Atomic scale modification of surfaces may trigger off dynamical processes. This is shown here by using the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope to extract an individual atom in a controlled manner from a predefined site of the reconstructed Ge(111)- c(2 ×8) surface. By thermally activated hopping of neighboring adatoms to the vacant site, the produced single-atom vacancy diffuses on the surface. From statistical analysis of the adatom configurations observed around the vacancy, we determine tiny ( <0.15 eV) differences in free energy between the configurations. A linear increase of the configuration free energy with the number of adatoms located at metastable T4 sites is reported.

  • Received 10 February 1997

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.80.3101

©1998 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Patrici Molinàs-Mata*, Andrew J. Mayne, and Gérald Dujardin

  • Laboratoire de Photophysique Moléculaire, C.N.R.S., Université de Paris-Sud, Bât. 213, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France

  • *Present address: SRMP, CEA-Saclay, Bât. 520, 91191 Gif sur Yvette, Cedex, France.Electronic address: molinas@srmp11.saclay.cea.fr

See Also

Watching Single Atoms Move

Phys. Rev. Focus 1, 9 (1998)

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Vol. 80, Iss. 14 — 6 April 1998

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