Mechanism of nanoparticle manipulation by scanning tunnelling microscopy

Scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) imaging was performed on gold surfaces with a large coverage of monodispersed silver nanoparticles soft-landed on the surface from the gas phase. In both ambient and ultra-high vacuum conditions, STM scanning was found to displace the particles out of the scanning area, due to weak adhesion of the particles to the substrate surface. Calculations based on contact mechanics and electrostatics show that the particles can overcome the force of adhesion to the surface and jump onto the STM tip beyond the tunnelling distance. The observation provides the possibility for patterning or arranging nanoparticles on a surface, which is demonstrated, and offers the potential for a multiplexed approach to create very precise surface patterns and particle arrangements.