Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
We describe a method to prepare electron emitters (tips) designed to achieve routine atomic resolution in a scanning tunneling microscope. Highly reliable results were obtained with repeated sputter-anneal processes in ultrahigh vacuum using polycrystalline tungsten wires as the base material. A tip apex radius of less than 5 nm and an atomic resolution of III–V (110) semiconductor surfaces are routinely obtained. The analysis involves scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, and current–voltage characteristics in the field emission regime.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Albrektsen et al. (1994) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: