Abstract
This paper presents polymer graphite (PG) as a novel material for the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) probe. Conductive PG is a relatively modern nanocomposite material used for micro-pencil refills containing a polymer-based binding agent and graphite flakes. Its high conductivity and immunity against surface contamination, with a low price, make it seem like a highly suitable material for electrode manufacturing in general. For the tip production, three methods were developed and are further described in the paper. For the production, three commercially available polymer graphite rods were used. Each has been discussed in terms of performance within the tunneling microscope and within other potential applications.
Highlights
Graphite is a natural mineral and one of carbon’s allotropes that possesses a layered structure
This paper presents polymer graphite (PG) as a novel material for the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) probe
Classical pencil leads are made from a mixture of white clay and graphite [4]
Summary
Graphite is a natural mineral and one of carbon’s allotropes that possesses a layered structure. In order to achieve maximum resolution by STM, it is necessary to obtain an extremely sharp conductive tip serving as a probe scanning over a sample surface. The main disadvantage of this material is its high price Another commonly used material is tungsten (W) which is used mainly for its high melting point, good conductivity, and a relatively easy way of creating the sharp tip. This is done mostly by incorporating an electrochemical etching method, where the etched tungsten wires dissolute in an alkaline electrolyte yielding a sharp tip by the increased tension of the electrolyte near its surface [14]. From the above mentioned factors, the development of new probes is important for surface science because STM is a high-accuracy method for characterization of micromorphology and nanomorphology of surface, defects and fractures of surface, measurements of nano-scaled structures, and, last but not least, understanding mechanisms on the surface [15]
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