Gap dependence of the tip-sample capacitance

70, 2725 1991. 6 M. Dreyer and R. Wiesendanger, Appl. Phys. A: Mater. Sci. ... 8 J. J. Kopanski, J. F. Marchiando, and J. R. Lowney, J. Vac. Sci. Technol.
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JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS

VOLUME 83, NUMBER 12

15 JUNE 1998

Gap dependence of the tip-sample capacitance Shu Kurokawaa) and Akira Sakai Mesoscopic Materials Research Center, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-01, Japan

~Received 12 January 1998; accepted for publication 12 March 1998! The tip-sample capacitance has been studied in the nontunneling regime and the capacitance-distance characteristics and its dependence on the tip geometry have been determined for the gap distance 1,s,600 nm. Measurements were carried out in ultrahigh vacuum on a capacitor formed between a metal tip ~W or Pt–Ir! and a clean Au~111! surface. Tips of different tip radius R530;4000 nm were used to investigate the influence of tip geometry on the capacitance. When the gap distance is reduced, the capacitance increases while its gap sensitivity u ] C/ ] s u decreases with the gap distance. The capacitance therefore shows no 1/s divergence. The magnitude of the capacitance change is found to depend on the tip geometry: blunt tips ~R.1000 nm! show larger capacitance increase than that for sharp tips ~R