Evaluation of I(V) curves in scanning tunneling spectroscopy of organic nanolayers
Evaluation of I(V) curves in scanning tunneling spectroscopy of organic nanolayers
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DOI:
10.1103/physrevb.75.235432
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发表时间:
2007-06-01
影响因子:
3.7
通讯作者:
Fritz, T.
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
Wagner, C.;Franke, R.;Fritz, T.
We want to verify if the use of scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS) evaluation methods developed for inorganic samples can be justified also for the case of organic nanolayers, or if modifications are necessary. This question arises since the traditional approaches are derived for the case of bulk samples and low voltages. Since an organic adsorbate on a substrate presents a sample with a more complex structure and is further characterized by a large gap in the eV range, the answer to this question is not a priori clear. After discussing relevant quantities, i.e., the sample density of states (DOS) and local density of states, we demonstrate the use of the simple and well-known model of a one-dimensional tunnel junction in Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin approximation in order to calculate the sample DOS for several STS results from literature dealing with ultrathin organic layers. In a subsequent discussion, we conclude that the model is applicable to the orbital-mediated tunneling process "through" organic molecules and that it can be used to evaluate such STS measurements. Emanating from an estimation of the tip-sample distance, the possibility of detecting electronic states below the highest occupied molecular orbital in STS is discussed. With several examples, we illustrate a weakness of the normalized differential conductivity as a method of STS I(V) curve evaluation and propose a new normalization algorithm as a solution to the problem.