Detection Improvement for Electron Energy Spectra for Surface Analysis Using a Field Emission Scanning Tunneling Microscope

Abstract

For identification of the atomic species on a sample surface with high spatial resolution, we developed a field emission scanning tunneling microscopy (FE-STM) combined with an energy analyzer to perform surface electron spectroscopy: the primary electrons are field-emitted from the STM tip to excite sample surfaces. The energy spectra of backscattered electrons obtained using this combined instrument exhibited the elemental features, though the energy peaks and their signal height in the spectra were affected by the electric field between the tip and the sample. In the present study, we have examined and improved the electric shield of an STM tip holder. The metal parts of the holder at a high voltage, which face the gap left for electrons to pass through, were shielded to reduce the electric field. We have successfully demonstrated the effect of the field reduction for surface electron spectroscopy with the FE-STM.