SAMPLE PREPARATION FOR STM IMAGING OF SILICON AT ATMOSPHERIC-PRESSURE

In this research, scanning tunneling microscopy at atmospheric pressure under a flowing nitrogen ambient has been used to investigate the microscopic texture of the silicon wafer surface as a function of the cleaning procedure used. The nitrogen ambient is used to prevent contamination of the surface during observation. Most of the surfaces observed show a "pebbly" structure, indicating that the surface is rough on an atomic scale; however, the measured RMS roughness is seen to vary with the final HF etch used.