AFM tip induced formation of nanometer scale structures on WSe2 under defined conditions

Under controlled ambient conditions it is possible to produce different types of structures onto WSe2 (0001) surface with AFM by applying a voltage pulse between tip and sample. The structure size can be varied over three orders of magnitude from the nanometer-scale up to structures of several mu m in diameter. Four different types of structures were observed as surface roughening, hole structures induced by etching, surface oxide layers and volcano-like structures depending on experimental parameters as humidity as well as polarity, height and duration of the voltage pulses. Models of cluster formation mechanism will be given based on systematic studies of the experimental dependencies. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.