Journal
JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS PART 1-REGULAR PAPERS BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS & REVIEW PAPERS
Volume 45, Issue 11, Pages 8972-8983Publisher
INST PURE APPLIED PHYSICS
DOI: 10.1143/JJAP.45.8972
Keywords
single-atom tips; adsorbate-induced faceting; electron field emission; field ion beams
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We have developed a simple, reliable and reproducible method for preparing single-atom tips. With electrochemical techniques, a very small amount of a noble metal is plated on the surface of a clean W (111) tip. Upon annealing the tip at an appropriate temperature in vacuum, a three-sided [211] pyramid with a single-atom sharpness is formed spontaneously at the tip apex by adsorbate-induced faceting. This tip is both thermally and chemically stable, and can be regenerated several ten times when accidentally damaged. We use a field ion microscope to examine the atomic structure of the tip apex layer by layer and characterize the corresponding electron emission in the field emission mode. Some properties of Ne+ ions emitted from a single-atom tip are also measured, indicating a high brightness and a small extension angle. Many desirable features make the single-atom tips very promising for future particle beam applications in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
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