Design an onstruction of a UJJV-LT-STM Systenm

for Atom Manipulation on MBE Gron Semi-

conductor Surfaces
Danda P. Acharya, Kendal Clark, Joel Vaughn anid Saw W. Hla
Nanoscale and Quantum phenomena Institute ,Department of Physics and Astronomy
Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, 45701, USA

Abstract - An ultra-high-vacuum low-temperature scanning- semiconducting materials normally increases. This makes
tunneling-microscope (UHV-LT-STM) capable of single tunneling intosemiconductor surfaces a difficult task at low
atom/molecule manipulation on molecular beam epitaxy (BE) temperatues.
t
grown semiconductor surfaces has been designed and
constructed. The STM scanner design is based on a modified
Besoke-Beetle type and the thermal drift of the system is less than
0.1 nm/hr, which allows to perform I-V, dLfdV and vibrational
since la ds ade GaN as bem a pul terial
study due to its lage band gap (3.4e½ ad its technological
tunneling spectroscopy measurements at single atom level. The applicationis [4]. Here, we choose a molecular beam epitaxy
sample holding stage is designed to have electrical contact at the (MBE) grown GaN (0001) as a test surface to demonstrate
surface layer of the sample. This perimits tunneling into wide capability of our LT-STM system.
band-gap NME grown semiconductor surfaces at low substrate
temperatures. As a demonstration, the first low temperature II. THE LOM PERATURE STM
STM image of GaN(000 1 ) surface at 5 K and an atom-by-atom
deposition process using vertical atom-manipulation on this are
also presented.

I. INTRODUCTION

The invention of the scamuing tunneling microscope (STM)

has opened up a nexv era of surfaice
science I ]. STM is niot
only a tool used to image surfaces but also a tool used to probe
properties of materials using tunnelin sectroscop (TS) and
manpulation techiiques [2-3]. Aton manipulation canm be
performed by using the tip-atom interaction forces, or
tuineling electrons or the electric field at the tip-sample
junction. Based on the tip movement relative to the surface,
two manipulation processes, vertical and para|llel
manipulation, can be definied. in the parallel process, which is
also known as "lateral manipulation", the tip moves parallel to
the surface plane and the atom moves together With the tip. If
the tip-atom attractive forces are used, then the atom follows
the tip during the manilation and it is named "pulling"
mode. When hp-atom repulsive forces are involved, the atom
is moved in front of the tip, and it is called "pushing". If the
atom is trapped under the tip by means of van der Waals
forces or bound to the tip, then both tip and the atom move ighUHVLT-STM ytm
together and it is known as "sliding" [21. In the vertical F
Fg 1:TeUVL-T stem.
process, the tip movement is in the direction perpendicular to
the surface plane. By means of a tip-atom mechanical contact, seateurahgvcw-camrsISM conisists
Our lOW temperature STM system Th
of (Fig. 1)
hmbrapl
ree
or electric field or tunnieling electron induced excitations, the seaaeutahg-aunchmes T hme,sml
atom on the surface can be transferred to the surface or vice praato chme,nd oluareosin/ladok
vers [2. tommanpultionexprimntsreqirelow
Mst chamber. The STM scanner is a modified Besoke-Beetle type

However,at low temperatres piezoelectric tue is attached to a copper diskt. This piezo tube

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1-4244-0078-31/061$20.00 (c) 2006 IEEE
cares the STM tip and it primary movement is in z-direction. the growth is stopped and anealed at 800 OC for 15 minntes to
The rest of the thee piezoelectric tnbes are attached to the base remove excess Ga atoms. The sample is then cooled down to
of the STM and used for x, y movement. The microscope is room temperature and transported to STM system nnder the
snspended from three springs at the base of the cryostat and its ultra-high-vacunm (JHV) environment. The sample
oscillation is damped by an eddy current damping mechanism temperature was lowered to 5 K for the STM experiments.
provided by three samariam-cobalt magnets attached at the
copper base plate. This STM scanner is directly attached to the at 5 Klswshow inSigueM
3 Tnnnling toth naN
I
snrface a 5 e dK
base of the 1-liquwd* He
r S bath cryostat,
n which
- results in a faster cnld be d n inin oureLT
be done
~~~~~~~~coul our LTSTSTM system itho Ny
system without difficnlty
any diflCUlty.
coolling. Typical coolling tlime of STM from room temperature The S imaes are acquired a different locons across e
to liqnid helinu temperature is 8 hours. To prevent radiative sample to check the snrfaed condition. As sho in the sn
heating. scarmr is snrronnded by t:wo rfadiation shields ha:ving representative STM image (figure 3) of this sample, the surfae
80 K and 4.2 K, respectively. Optical access to the STM is is composed of large flat islands separated by rough regions.
achieved via two view port mirrors located At the radiation Atomic resolntion can be easily achieved on tie flat snrface
shield. areas, Which is presented in the next section.
The preparation chamber in this system inclndes an electron
gtm for spntter cleaning, a mass spectrometer, a manipnlator
for xyz travel and the sample rotation samnple heating/cooling
stages, the sample/tip storage nit, Auger Electron
Spectroscopy (AES), ion gaLges for pressure monitoring and
state of the art pnmping facilities.
The load lock chamber is separated from the preparation
chamber via a gate valve and it is also used for the transfr of
MBE grown samples. To achieve a fast pnmping, this chamber
inclnde an additional ion pump, a turbo pump, a mechaiucal
roughing pnmp, knudson cells for molecular deposition, anid a
cold cathode gange for pressnre mouitoring. The entire UHIV
system is placed on fonr Newport vibration isolators to reduce
vibration conpling with the environLment

(3) STMI image of GXaN(OOO 1 ) surfce at 5 K7. Tunelinlg parameters: 1.OV

~~~~~~~~~~~~Fig.
_ _ - 1 nA. Imnage size =S5Snmx55lm.
~~~~~~~~~~~anrd

__ T~~~~~~~~~~VI.
VERTIC;AL ATOMW MAN3IPULATION3 ON3 GAN(000 1 )

F;ig. (2) The STM1 Scannuer [5]. Three pie:zoelectric tubes are situlated onl This nmnsipuiationR scheme inclndes 2 steps: Coating the tip
trianglar wYay anld are ulsed for coarse approach. The fourth piezoelecric tube with Ga from th surfce laer, and ten trasferin of Ga
w-hich is afached at the center of the copper disk holds the STM tip. The atoms on:to a snrface area on an atom4-byatm basis (fFigur 4).
sample sits exactly at the underneath of the STM tilpTopcnpGotohei,wefrthosafltnfcera
anLd then teo STM9 tip is gtentl dipped into thie snrfce for two
III. STMI RESU31LTS GAN(000 1 ) a:tomic layerts dezpt. HIere, the tip penetration depth is precisely
contolled by adjnsti:ng the bias voltage to the z- piezo. Picking
GaN nrfce anrowint tw crstalin foms,Zin blnd
(cnbi0c) anld wutzite (0hexagonal). For ths experiment, a
up of theo
imgig
snrfce materials is conlfi:rmed by snbseqnent
ntogen polar (000)1 GaN samnple [4J] which hais a wutite
strucure, iS grown on a solvent cleaned sapphi1re (U0001)
csnbstrate at temprature1 650
0CR by nscinga MBE9 syte [81.tTIlhe
growthl is monitored by rreflection: hig:h e>nergy electron
diffrction (RHIE;ED). Durn:g te growth of first few hunndre
angstromsc thicktness the sample tempeatre sglightly
is
lincreased to abont 750 0C. Once thle thilckess iS 2000AS thlen

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1 -4244-0078 -31061$20L.00 (c)J 2006 IEEE
 Figure (5). Atom-by-atom depositiotn of Ga atoms. A) An atomic
resolution STM image of gaN(OOO 1 ) surface at 5 K. The location marked
with a yellow circle is chosen for the atom deposition. B). The STM image
shows after deposition of a Ga atom (shoAi n with a read circle) at the
previously marked location. The deposited atom causes changes in back
ground electronic structure locally. C) and D). STM imiages show continue
deposition of Ga atoms on the surface.

V. SUMMARY
Designed and construction of a low temperture scaniung
tunneling microscope capable of atom mnaniplation on
semiconductor surfaces is presented. The STM image of GaN
3 4 (0001) surface acquired at 5 K substrate temperature is shown
mand an atomby-atom depositionSTM-tip
scheme using vertical atom
manipulation techniique with the is demonstrated. This
achievement opens atomic scale engineering on semiconductor
tn b1 ^>surfaces to investigate novel device functionalities for future
nanotechnological applications.
Figure (4). Demonstration of vertical manipulation scheme to deposit Ga atom
onto the surface. 1.2) The Ga is pick up .~~~~~~~~~~I
by the tip via a gent tip-crashing into w ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
AcNWEGET
the substrate. 3,4) Ga atoms from the tip are transferred back to the surface on
ani atom-by-atom basis.
We thank Thy Vo, V. Ianc, A. Despande, K.-F Braun, R.
At the next step, for atom-by-atom deposition, a flat surface Mulford and R. Sminth with whom several Of the design details
area is first chosen. Atomic resolution images are then acqwred were dlscussed. We also than M. B. Haider and A. R. Smith
to check the..detailed
~ ~ surface area (figre
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ oIs5A). For the atom for the
EG.(0
th GaN(001) samle preratin. This Thi w wor
Drepaation.gant ork is
supporte ) bysamlei
LlLU isZ15,
deposition, a location which is fanially
on the stuface is first chosen, *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~iacal th NSF-NIRT no,
pported by thekNSVNR P-rat no. DMR1V-
*su**+
DMR-
indicated by a yellow circle in fignre 5A. The tip is then
position above this circle, the STM feedback loop is
terminated, and the tip height is reduced until tip-sample1TI. REFERENCES
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Image size=6.27nmx4.5nm, V= 1 .OV and 1=1 .1 nA

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1-424-008-31061$0-SW X.00 (c) 2006: IEEE