University of Florida Research Foundation Inc

Ut-battelle, Inc.

An-Ping Li

Yunmei Chen

Hao Zhang

Xianqi Li

Jianxing Ma

Xiaoguang Zhang

Jian Shen

Disclosed here is a scanning probe microscope system and method for operating the same for producing scanning probe microscope images at fast scan rates and reducing oscillation artifacts. In some embodiments, an inverse consistent image registration method is used to align forward and backward scan traces for each line of the scanning microscope image. In some embodiments, the aligned forward and backward scan traces are combined using a weighting factor favoring the scan trace with higher smoothness. In some embodiments, the scanning probe microscope image is a potentiometry map and a method is provided to extract from the potentiometry map a conductivity map.

Method for error correction in scanning probe microscopy

A tip treatment device for use in an ultrahigh vacuum in situ scanning tunneling microscope (STM). The device provides spin polarization functionality to new or existing variable temperature STM systems. The tip treatment device readily converts a conventional STM to a spin-polarized tip, and thereby converts a standard STM system into a spin-polarized STM system. The tip treatment device also has functions of tip cleaning and tip flashing a STM tip to high temperature (&#x3e;2000&#xb0; C.) in an extremely localized fashion. Tip coating functions can also be carried out, providing the tip sharp end with monolayers of coating materials including magnetic films. The device is also fully compatible with ultrahigh vacuum sample transfer setups.

In situ scanning tunneling microscope tip treatment device for spin polarization imaging

Growing community of inventors

Oak Ridge, TN, United States of America

An-Ping Li