Energy Spectra of Electrons Backscattered from Sample Surfaces with Heterostructures using Field-Emission Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Abstract

We have improved the combined instrument of field-emission scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) with surface electron spectroscopy to directly identify the atomic species on a sample; we supplement an electric shield near the tip, the position of which can be adjusted by three-dimensional coarse stages, and optimize the grazing angle of a sample surface with respect to the entrance of an energy analyzer by placing the STM head on a rotation stage. We observe STM images and take the energy spectra of backscattered electrons from clean Si(111) and Al-deposited Si(111) using the improved instrument. The Auger peaks of Si LVV are found at a tip–sample separation of approximately 1 µm for Si(111), and Al LVV and Si LVV peaks are found for Al-deposited Si samples, depending on the deposited amount. The present study implies that submicron surface analysis of samples with heterostructures can be performed with the combined instrument.