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The document discusses the principle of quantum tunneling and its application in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). STM uses quantum tunneling to image surfaces at the atomic level. When a conductive tip is brought very near a sample surface, a bias voltage applied between them causes electrons to tunnel through the vacuum barrier. The tunneling current depends exponentially on the tip-sample distance, allowing precise measurement of surface structures down to the individual atom. STM provides 3D atomic resolution images and has applications in nanotechnology and studying material properties.

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74 views

Sri 3

The document discusses the principle of quantum tunneling and its application in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). STM uses quantum tunneling to image surfaces at the atomic level. When a conductive tip is brought very near a sample surface, a bias voltage applied between them causes electrons to tunnel through the vacuum barrier. The tunneling current depends exponentially on the tip-sample distance, allowing precise measurement of surface structures down to the individual atom. STM provides 3D atomic resolution images and has applications in nanotechnology and studying material properties.

Uploaded by

nithila bhasker
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tunneling Effect

Classical Physics

Quantum Physics

The quantum particle exhibits wave-like nature, it can reflect and


transmit (tunnel) through the potential barrier
Boundary Conditions

I II III
E
V 0 for x <0
V  Vo for 0 xL
V=0 V=Vo V=0 V 0 for x >L

0 L
x

The energy of the particle


E  Vo
2
 2
E ( x)  (  V ) ( x)
2m x 2

Region I (x <0 ) Region II (0 ≤ x ≤ L) Region III (x >L )

Potential V=0 Potential V=Vo Potential V=0

 2 2  2 2  2 2
 2  k1  ( x)  0  2  k2  ( x)  0  2  k3  ( x)  0
 x   x   x 

2mE 2m(Vo  E ) 2mE


k 
1
2
2 k 
2 k 
2
2 2 3 2
16 E (Vo  E ) 2 k2 L
T 2
e
Vo

ECE 663
Scanning Tunneling Microscopy
Developed on the principle of quantum mechanical tunneling

Components
1 metal tip
2 Piezoelectric scanner Tip and sample must be electrically
3 current amplifier conductive (metals)
4 Bipotentiostat
5 feedback loop
6 detector
Nobel Prize in Physics (1986)

Gerd Binnig H. Rohrer


Advanced STM

Ultra high vacuum and low temperature STM set-up


STM working Principle
STM works on the principle of quantum mechanical tunneling

A is constant
Tunneling current e is electron charge
V is voltage
2 m
2 d m is mass of electron
I  A  eV  e
2
Φ is work function of metal tip
d is distance between tip and sample
STM working procedure
Constant height mode
Constant current mode

 Image the surface with  Image the surface with


constant tunnel current constant height and
and variable height variable tunnel current
 Feed back loop help to
maintain constant current  Electron density on
the surface can detect
 Surface (height) structure
can detect
Optical Microscopy

Resolution : few microns


Resolution : 0.1 nm
It is resolve individual atoms in a materials

STM images of gold and Si crystal


Surface of different structures
STM Applications

Widely used in nanotechnology

 Image the surface structure


 Estimate surface roughness
 3D images of the surface
 Locate the defect on the surface of crystal
 Understand electric structure of materials

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