Design and properties of a cryogenic dip-stick scanning tunneling microscope with capacitive coarse approach control

Abstract

We present the design, setup, and operation of a new dip-stick scanning tunneling microscope. Its special design allows measurements in the temperature range from 4.7K up to room temperature, where cryogenic vacuum conditions are maintained during the measurement. The system fits into every (4)He vessel with a bore of 50mm, e.g., a transport dewar or a magnet bath cryostat. The microscope is equipped with a cleaving mechanism for cleaving single crystals in the whole temperature range and under cryogenic vacuum conditions. For the tip approach, a capacitive automated coarse approach is implemented. We present test measurements on the charge density wave system 2H-NbSe2 and the superconductor LiFeAs which demonstrate scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy data acquisition with high stability, high spatial resolution at variable temperatures and in high magnetic fields.