Correlation of frequency shift discontinuity to atomic positions on a Si(111)7x7 surface by noncontact atomic force microscopy

We succeeded in obtaining site-dependent frequency-shift curves on an atomic scale as a function of the tip-sample surface distance between a clean Si(1 1 1)7 x 7 surface and a clean active Si tip with a dangling bond using noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM). As a result, we found a discontinuous jump in the frequency-shift curve measured above active Si adatoms with a dangling bond, in contrast to a continuous frequency-shift curve measured above gaps between adjacent Si adatoms. These results suggest the possibility that the NC-AFM can be developed into a kind of spectroscopic tool, i.e. atomic force spectroscopy, which can measure the three-dimensional force-related map with true atomic resolution. Furthermore, we succeeded in suppressing the discontinuous jump in the frequency-shift curve by replacing the clean active Si tip apex with an oxidized inactive Si tip apex. This result suggests the possibility that we can control the interaction force between the tip and sample atoms on an atomic scale by placing a suitable atom on the tip apex.