Restoration of a Low Temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscope
Open Access
Author:
Bankovic, Baird
Area of Honors:
Physics
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Eric Hudson, Thesis Supervisor Nitin Samarth, Thesis Honors Advisor Anthony Raymond Richardella, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Tip Etching Transimpedance Amplifier
Abstract:
Scanning tunneling microscopy is a technique that enables the study of the surfaces of materials with sub-nanometer resolution. A scanning tunneling microscope (STM) gives local electronic information about the surface and is an invaluable analysis technique in modern condensed matter physics. The goal of my project was to restore an existing low temperature STM which had fallen into disrepair. This thesis outlines the restoration process, along with a description of the supporting techniques that were necessary. In parallel with the restoration process, I also developed an automated tungsten tip fabricator for making atomically sharp tips for the STM. This is an original design that I have shared on an open source website. Additionally, I explored the use of a low temperature transimpedance preamplifier that would improve the performance of our STM and tested a number of operational amplifiers that could be used to this end.
