Nanoscale decoration of Au(111) electrodes with Cu clusters by an STM

Abstract

Small Cu clusters of typically 3–5 atoms height have been deposited in sulfuric acid solution onto a Au(111) electrode at preselected positions by applying appropriate potentials to the gold electrode and the STM tip. The height of the Cu clusters could be varied at will between 1 and 5 atomic layers either with the tunnel current or with the electrode potential, and the clusters were positioned as close as 5 nm without merging.