A STAGE FOR SUBMICRON DISPLACEMENTS USING ELECTROMAGNETIC COILS AND ITS APPLICATION TO SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPY

Coarse motion mechanisms have proven essential for STM investigations. The new system that we have built and that is presented here uses electromagnetic forces to clamp the feet of the "louse." These forces arise from a current that flows through three electromagnetic coils. This system, fully computer automated, is found to give reliable approaches and allows lateral displacements of the sample with variable step sizes and hence, can also be used in other specific applications that require nanodisplacements.