Atomic resolution imaging of a single-crystal Cu (100) surface by scanning tunneling microscopy in ultrahigh vacuum at room temperature

Abstract

Atomically ordered array of Cu atoms on a clean single-crystal Cu (100) surface has been observed on both occupied and empty sample states by scanning tunneling microscopy in ultrahigh vacuum at room temperature. An average corrugation amplitude of ∼0.4 Å is found in the empty state while it is only ∼0.06 Å in the occupied state. Atomic spacing is measured and the results are in good agreement with the known copper interatomic distance of 2.6 Å.