DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPE FOR THE STUDY OF THIN METAL FILMS

Abstract

Houghton University is building a Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) to analyze the surface of thin metal films in air at an atomic resolution. A dual-stage vibration isolation system is used to reduce noise. Stepper motors move the scanning head toward the sample surface, after which a piezo buzzer scans a tip across the surface while adjusting the height to maintain a constant current. The position of the tip is therefore an image of the surface. All the electronics are controlled by a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller. The hardware, electronics, and software have been successfully tested independently of one another, but not yet as a complete system.