Atomic-scale investigations on nanomaterials using scanning tunneling microscopy

Abstract

Although there are many kinds of materials in nature, people have been investigating and developing new materials of better properties. Nanomaterial, which is smaller than 100 nm along at least one dimension, reveals very different material’s properties from its bulk form owing to size effects. We expect new functionalities from nanomaterials, which has driven us to understand physical and chemical properties of nanoscale materials such as nanotube, nanocrystals, nanowires and 2D materials. The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is a versatile and powerful tool for investigating nanoscale phenomena. Especially, the STM is quite a useful means for the research of nanomaterials. We can image single atoms or single molecules, and manipulate them leading chemical reactions as well. Moreover, we can measure local electronic structure at the atomic scale and vibrational spectroscopy of a single molecule by means of scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). In this presentation, I will introduce basic working principles of STM and some examples of STM studies on nanomaterials.