Scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy study of layered transition metal halides Nb[sub 3]X[sub 8] (X = Cl, Br, I)

Journal Article · Wed Mar 24 04:00:00 EST 1993 · Journal of the American Chemical Society; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00059a053· OSTI ID:5989534

Magonov, S N; Zoennchen, P; Rotter, H; Cantow, H J; Thiele, G ^[1]; Ren, J; Whangbo, M H ^[2]

---

1. Albert-Ludwigs Universitaet, Freiburg (Germany)
2. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh (United States)

Niobium halides Nb[sub c]X[sub 8] (X = Cl, Br, I) are made up of layers of composition Nb[sub 3]X[sub 8], and the two surfaces (A and B) of their individual Nb[sub 3]X[sub 8] layers are not equivalent in atomic corrugations. The surfaces of these halides were examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to obtain atomic resolution images. For a given surface, AFM images differ significantly from STM images, and the resolution of the STM images depends on the tunneling conditions. The observed AFM and STM images were analyzed by calculating the total electron density distribution, [rho](r[sub 0]), and the partial electron density distribution, [rho](r[sub 0], e[sub f]), for the two surfaces of single Nb[sub 3]X[sub 8] (X = Cl, Br, I) layers. The work shows that the AFM and STM images are well described by the [rho](r[sub 0]) and [rho](r[sub 0], e[sub f]) plots, respectively. A combined use of AFM and STM is useful in characterizing the surfaces of layered materials, and calculations of [rho](r[sub 0]) and [rho](r[sub 0], e[sub f]) plots are indispensable in interpreting their AFM and STM images. 33 refs., 12 figs., 2 tabs.

• DOE Contract Number: FG05-86ER45259
• OSTI ID: 5989534
• Journal Information: Journal of the American Chemical Society; (United States), Journal Name: Journal of the American Chemical Society; (United States) Vol. 115:6; ISSN JACSAT; ISSN 0002-7863
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360602 -- Other Materials-- Structure & Phase Studies
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400201* -- Chemical & Physicochemical Properties
BROMIDES
BROMINE COMPOUNDS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
ELECTRON DENSITY
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
IODIDES
IODINE COMPOUNDS
MICROSCOPY
NIOBIUM BROMIDES
NIOBIUM CHLORIDES
NIOBIUM COMPOUNDS
NIOBIUM IODIDES
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS