title: Fabrication of [001]-oriented tungsten tips for high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy.
abstract: The structure of the [001]-oriented single crystalline tungsten probes sharpened in ultra-high vacuum using electron beam heating and ion sputtering has been studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The electron microscopy data prove reproducible fabrication of the single-apex tips with nanoscale pyramids grained by the {011} planes at the apexes. These sharp, [001]-oriented tungsten tips have been successfully utilized in high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy imaging of HOPG(0001), SiC(001) and graphene/SiC(001) surfaces. The electron microscopy characterization performed before and after the high resolution STM experiments provides direct correlation between the tip structure and picoscale spatial resolution achieved in the experiments.
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow district 142432, Russia [2] Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices, School of Physics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Chaika
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow district 142432, Russia.
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Orlova
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow district 142432, Russia.
authors.forename: V N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Semenov
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow district 142432, Russia.
authors.forename: E Yu
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Postnova
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices, School of Physics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Krasnikov
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow district 142432, Russia.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lazarev
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow district 142432, Russia.
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Chekmazov
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow district 142432, Russia [2] HASYLAB at DESY, D-22607 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: V Yu
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Aristov
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow district 142432, Russia.
authors.forename: V G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Glebovsky
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow district 142432, Russia.
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Bozhko
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices, School of Physics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
authors.forename: I V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Shvets