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The resistance as a function of tip-sample separation in the scanning tunneling microscope is calculated for distances in the transition region between tunneling and point contact. A resistance plateau appears near point contact with value A{e^2}, where A is of order unity, its exact value depending on the identity of the tip atom. Good agreement is found with the recent experimental data of Gimzewski and M\"oller.
N. D. Lang (Sun,) studied this question.