title: A combined ion-sputtering and electron-beam annealing device for the in vacuo postpreparation of scanning probes.
abstract: We describe the setup, characteristics, and application of an in vacuo ion-sputtering and electron-beam annealing device for the postpreparation of scanning probes (e.g., scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) tips) under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. The proposed device facilitates the straightforward implementation of a common two-step cleaning procedure, where the first step consists of ion-sputtering, while the second step heals out sputtering-induced defects by thermal annealing. In contrast to the standard way, no dedicated external ion-sputtering gun is required with the proposed device. The performance of the described device is demonstrated by SEM micrographs and energy dispersive x-ray characterization of electrochemically etched tungsten tips prior and after postprocessing.
authors: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Center for NanoScience (CeNS), Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Theresienstrasse 41, 80333 Munich, Germany.
authors: Georg
authors: G
authors: Eder
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Schlögl
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Macknapp
authors: Wolfgang M
authors: WM
authors: Heckl
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Lackinger