Abstract
A near contact atomic force microscope operated at low-temperature is used for vertical manipulation of selected single atoms from the surface. The strong repulsive short-range chemical force interaction between the closest atoms of both tip apex and surface during a soft nanoindentation leads to the removal of a selected silicon atom from its equilibrium position at the surface without additional perturbation of the unit cell. Deposition of a single atom on a created vacancy at the surface is achieved as well. These manipulation processes are purely mechanical, since neither bias voltage nor voltage pulse is applied between probe and sample. Differences in the mechanical response of the two nonequivalent adatoms of the with the load applied is also detected.
- Received 27 December 2002
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.90.176102
©2003 American Physical Society
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This article appears in the following collection:
Scanning Probe Microscopy: From Sublime to Ubiquitous
This collection marks the 35th anniversary of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and the 30th anniversary of atomic force microscopy (AFM). These papers, all published in the Physical Review journals, highlight the positive impact that STM and AFM have had, and continue to have, on physical science research. The papers included in the collection have been made free to read.