Exploring site-specific chemical interactions at surfaces: a case study on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite.

A material's ability to interact with approaching matter is governed by the structural and chemical nature of its surfaces. Tailoring surfaces to meet specific needs requires developing an understanding of the underlying fundamental principles that determine a surface's reactivity. A particularly insightful case occurs when the surface site exhibiting the strongest attraction changes with distance. To study this issue, combined noncontact atomic force microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy experiments have been carried out, where the evolution of the local chemical interaction with distance leads to a contrast reversal in the force channel. Using highly ordered pyrolytic graphite surfaces and metallic probe tips as a model system, we find that at larger tip-sample distances, carbon atoms exhibit stronger attractions than hollow sites while upon further approach, hollow sites become energetically more favorable. For the tunneling current that is recorded at large tip-sample separations during acquisition of a constant-force image, the contrast is dominated by the changes in tip-sample distance required to hold the force constant ('cross-talk'); at smaller separations the contrast turns into a convolution of this cross-talk and the local density of states. Analysis shows that the basic factors influencing the force channel contrast reversal are locally varying decay lengths and an onset of repulsive forces that occurs for distinct surface sites at different tip-sample distances. These findings highlight the importance of tip-sample distance when comparing the relative strength of site-specific chemical interactions.

Robust high-resolution imaging and quantitative force measurement with tuned-oscillator atomic force microscopy.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and spectroscopy are based on locally detecting the interactions between a surface and a sharp probe tip. For highest resolution imaging, noncontact modes that avoid tip-sample contact are used; control of the tip's vertical position is accomplished by oscillating the tip and detecting perturbations induced by its interaction with the surface potential. Due to this potential's nonlinear nature, however, achieving reliable control of the tip-sample distance is challenging, so much so that despite its power vacuum-based noncontact AFM has remained a niche technique. Here we introduce a new pathway to distance control that prevents instabilities by externally tuning the oscillator's response characteristics. A major advantage of this operational scheme is that it delivers robust position control in both the attractive and repulsive regimes with only one feedback loop, thereby providing an easy-to-implement route to atomic resolution imaging and quantitative tip-sample interaction force measurement.

Molecular-resolution imaging of pentacene on KCl(001).

The growth of pentacene on KCl(001) at submonolayer coverage was studied by dynamic scanning force microscopy. At coverages below one monolayer pentacene was found to arrange in islands with an upright configuration. The molecular arrangement was resolved in high-resolution images. In these images two different types of patterns were observed, which switch repeatedly. In addition, defects were found, such as a molecular vacancy and domain boundaries.

Temporal evolution of benzenethiolate SAMs on Cu(100).

The structure and thermal stability of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of benzenethiolate (BT) on Cu(100) have been studied by means of thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), UV photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and near-edge X-ray adsorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS). Vapor deposition at room temperature yields a well-ordered, densely packed c(6 × 2) saturation structure. At room temperature, this film is, however, metastable and transforms via partial decomposition by cleavage of the S-C bond into a less densely packed layer that reveals a coexisting p(2 × 2) phase. Such a transition occurs on a time scale of several days and is accompanied by a reduction of the work function change with respect to the bare Cu(100) surface from Δϕ = -0.9 eV for a freshly prepared saturated layer to -0.5 eV for an aged film. TDS experiments exhibit the presence of two distinct desorption channels (dissociative and intact desorption) occurring at different temperatures that reflects a variation of the local Cu-S interaction strength of BT at differently coordinated adsorption sites. Heating to above room temperature causes a rapid degradation and continuous thinning of BT films whereas above 500 K all thiolate species have desorbed or dissociated, leaving a sulfide overlayer behind that is accompanied by a substrate reconstruction. Interestingly, the upright orientation of BT adopted in the saturated monolayer remains almost identical upon heating and demonstrates the absence of downward tilting upon thermally induced thinning of the film.

Structural evolution of perfluoro-pentacene films on Ag(111): transition from 2D to 3D growth.

The structural evolution and thermal stability of perfluoro-pentacene (PF-PEN) thin films on Ag(111) have been studied by means of low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). Well-defined monolayer films can be prepared by utilizing the different adsorption energy of mono- and multilayer films and selectively desorbing multilayers upon careful heating at 380 K, whereas at temperatures above 400 K, a dissociation occurs. In the first monolayer, the molecules adopt a planar adsorption geometry and form a well-ordered commensurate (6 × 3) superstructure where molecules are uniformly oriented with their long axis along the <110> azimuth. This molecular orientation is also maintained in the second layer, where molecules exhibit a staggered packing motif, whereas further deposition leads to the formation of isolated, tall islands. Moreover, on smooth silver surfaces with extended terraces, growth of PF-PEN onto beforehand prepared long-range ordered monolayer films at elevated temperature leads to needle-like islands that are uniformly aligned at substrate steps along <110> azimuth directions.

Influence of OH groups on charge transport across organic-organic interfaces: a systematic approach employing an "ideal" device.

The charge transport across a pentacene/SAM interface has been studied by scanning tunnelling spectroscopy (STS) as a function of temperature and film thickness in order to obtain information on the transport mechanisms and in particular on the importance of interfacial OH-groups on n-transport in organic semiconductors. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of pentacene thin films deposited on a mercaptoundecanol self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on Au(111) reveal an asymmetric behaviour. At positive sample bias the onset currents shift towards higher voltages for decreasing temperatures, whereas such changes are not seen at negative bias. For lower temperatures, the variation of current onset with layer thickness is absent. These observations are explained by OH-groups at the SAM-surface effectively acting as charge traps. When electrons are caught in these traps at the organic-organic interface, charge transport is severely affected. Imaging of the SAM after loading the traps suggests that the attachment of electrons to the OH-groups exposed at the organic surface is a reversible process.