Variable and Low Temperature STM

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Our lab hosts a Variable Temperature (VT-STM) and a Low Temperature (LT-STM) Scanning Tunneling Microscope, capable of characterizing both structural and electronic modifications at the atomic scale. Complementary conventional or synchrotron radiation spectroscopic measurements are also performed. Experimental results are often compared to ab-initio calculations performed by collaborating theoretical groups.


VT-STM


VT-STM


  • Temperature range from 140 K to 900 K

  • Gas dosing: 1x10-6 mbar in UHV, up to 20 mbar in an high pressure cell

  • FAST scanning mode up to 100 frames/s (see the FAST module website)

  • Sputter gun, LEED optics, mass spectrometer, gas line.

A first UHV chamber hosts a variable temperature Omicron VT-STM that has been modified in-house to allow in-situ and in-operando measurements in the 140 – 900 K temperature range under exposure to reactive gases (O2, H2, CO, NO, etc.) at pressures up to 10-6 mbar.


This system is ideal for the investigation of the kinetics of surface processes, such as elementary steps of catalytic reactions or growth and self-assembling, as well as for atomic resolution structural characterization of metal and oxide surfaces.


Recently, the instrument capabilities have been further improved with the development of FAST, an add-on module that allows switching from STM acquisition with conventional speed (few tens of sec/image), to the acquisition of video-rate movies.


LT-STM


LT-STM


  • Temperature down to 4 K (LHe) or 77 K (LN2)

  • Single-point spectroscopy measurements of dI/dV and d2I/dV2

  • Preparation stage with wide temperature range (77-1100 K)

  • Sputter gun, LEED optics, mass spectrometer, gas line

A second UHV system is equipped with a low temperature Omicron LT- STM, for imaging at 4K, capable of atomic scale resolution on weakly interacting adsorbates such as CO2 and organics of biological interest such as amino- and carboxyl- functionalized molecules.


The LT system has been integrated with a home-built setup for single molecule vibrational spectroscopy measurements.