A combined ion-sputtering and electron-beam annealing device for the in vacuo postpreparation of scanning probes

Georg Eder, Stefan Schlögl, Klaus MacKnapp, Wolfgang M. Heckl, Markus Lackinger

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

We describe the setup, characteristics, and application of an in vacuo ion-sputtering and electron-beam annealing device for the postpreparation of scanning probes (e.g., scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) tips) under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. The proposed device facilitates the straightforward implementation of a common two-step cleaning procedure, where the first step consists of ion-sputtering, while the second step heals out sputtering-induced defects by thermal annealing. In contrast to the standard way, no dedicated external ion-sputtering gun is required with the proposed device. The performance of the described device is demonstrated by SEM micrographs and energy dispersive x-ray characterization of electrochemically etched tungsten tips prior and after postprocessing.

Original languageEnglish
Article number033701
JournalReview of Scientific Instruments
Volume82
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2011

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