Abstract
An atomic vacancy is produced on a graphite surface by bombarding it with low-energy (40-80 eV) beams of ions, and its structure is examined by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The atomic vacancy is imaged as a surface protrusion in STM, while it is transparent in AFM. These two contradictory results are explained by the vacancy-induced enhancement of the partial charge density of states at the carbon atoms near the vacancy. The charge enhancement can occur over tens of the surrounding carbon atoms for multiatom vacancy.
- Received 21 September 1995
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.53.R1725
©1996 American Physical Society