Compact coarse approach mechanism for scanning tunneling microscope

Anjan K. Gupta, K. W. Ng

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

30 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report on the design and fabrication of a coarse approach mechanism, called a piezotube walker, based on a piezoelectric tube moving inside a triangular prism shaped cavity. This walker walks like a six legged insect moving its legs one by one and then the belly following. The walker works in any orientation from horizontal to vertical and its motion is found to be linear with the applied voltage above a threshold voltage. A compact scanning tunneling microscope (STM) was fabricated using this approach mechanism. The scanner tube of the STM is mounted on the inside of the walker tube, reducing the size of the STM considerably. Topographical images with atomic resolution were obtained for layered materials like graphite and NbSe2.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3552-3555
Number of pages4
JournalReview of Scientific Instruments
Volume72
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2001

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Instrumentation

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