Surface structure studies of quasi-one-dimensional charge-density wave compounds by scanning tunneling microscopy

Journal Article · · Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1116/1.585252· OSTI ID:5186917

Gammie, G; Hubacek, J S; Skala, S L; Tucker, J R; Lyding, J W ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Illinois, Urbana (United States)

This paper reports on the use of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to study the atomic and charge-density wave (CDW) structure of the surface of the trichalcogenides NbSe{sub 3} and o-TaS{sub 3}. Atomic images of NbSe{sub 3} suggest the presence of an adatom on untreated surfaces imaged in air, making chain identification difficult. Although the detailed structure of o-TaS{sub 3} is not known, STM images provide evidence that it is more closely related to the ZrSe{sub 3} structure than to that of NbSe{sub 3}, as previously assumed. Images of o-TaS{sub 3} below T{sub p} = 215 K reveal the detailed structure of the CDW, yielding some insight as to why its CDW properties differ from those of NbSe{sub 3} and m-TaS{sub 3}.

• OSTI ID: 5186917
• Journal Information: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology. B, Microelectronics Processing and Phenomena; (United States) Vol. 9:2; ISSN 0734-211X; ISSN JVTBD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360606* -- Other Materials-- Physical Properties-- (1992-)
CHALCOGENIDES
CHARGE DENSITY
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
MATHEMATICS
MICROSCOPY
NIOBIUM COMPOUNDS
NIOBIUM SELENIDES
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
SELENIDES
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TANTALUM COMPOUNDS
TANTALUM SULFIDES
TOPOLOGY
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TUNNEL EFFECT