title: STM-induced surface aggregates on metals and oxidized silicon.
abstract: We have observed an aggregation of carbon or carbon derivatives on platinum and natively oxidized silicon surfaces during STM measurements in ultra-high vacuum on solvent-cleaned samples previously structured by e-beam lithography. We imaged the aggregated layer with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) as well as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The amount of the aggregated material increases with the number of STM scans and with the tunneling voltage. Film thicknesses of up to 10 nm with five successive STM measurements of the same area have been obtained.
authors.affiliation: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - Campus South, DFG-Center for Functional Nanostructures (CFN), Physikalisches Institut, D-76128 Karlsruhe, Germany. dominik.stoeffler@kit.edu
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stöffler
authors.forename: Hilbert V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Löhneysen
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoffmann