Scanning tunneling microscope

• US 4,939,363 A
• Filed: 06/23/1989
• Issued: 07/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Director-General of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan (Government of Japan), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Director-General of the Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan (Government of Japan), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sakai, Akira, Bando, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Janice A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kiet T.
• Application Number:
  US07/370,819
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 250/306, 250/307, 250/310, 250/311, 250/442.1, 250/423 F
• US Class Current: 850/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 30/16 Vacuum environment
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/16 Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders
• CPC Class Codes: G01Q 60/54 Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/852 for detection of specific nanostructure sample or nanostructure-related property
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/861 Scanning tunneling probe

Abstract

A scanning tunneling microscope according to the present invention comprises a tip for emitting spin-polarized electrons and a magnet for applying a magnetic field to this tip. This tip is constituted of a metal needle made of a tungsten and an EuS layer about 400 Å which is coated on the surface of the metal needle. This tip is brought to such a close distance to the surface of the specimen that tunnel current flows. A magnetic field is applied to the axial direction of the tip a bias voltage is applied between the tip and the specimen and the tip is made to scan the surface of the specimen. The tip having a magnetic field applied to the axial direction thereof emits only spin-polarized electrons with the electron spins oriented in the axial direction. The spin-polarized electrons flows only in the area at the surface of the specimen where empty states for the electrons having spins in the parallel direction are distributed. By detecting the flow of the electrons, that is, the tunnel current, it is possible to obtain the distribution of the electrons having downward or downward spins. The shape of the pointed end of the tip is almost the same as that of a tip used in an ordinary STM. This makes it possible to measure the distribution of the electron spins with an atomic scale resolution.

Claims

1. A scanning tunneling microscope for investigating the distribution of the electron spins at the surface of a specimen, comprising:

a tip disposed above the surface of the specimen;

means for emitting electrons whose spins are polarized in one direction;

means for supporting said tip at a specified distance from the surface of the specimen and letting said tip scan the surface of the specimen;

means for applying a specified voltage between the tip and the specimen and causing a tunnel current to flow between said tip and the specimen;

means for detecting the tunnel current; and

means for forming and displaying an image according the tunnel current detected.

2. The scanning tunneling microscope according to claim 1, wherein said tip is constituted of a tungsten needle coated with europium sulfide.

3. The scanning tunneling microscope according to claim 1, further comprising means for applying a magnetic field to the specimen such that the magnetic field is normal to the surface of the specimen.

4. The scanning tunneling microscope according to claim 1, further comprising means for cooling said tip and the specimen to a specified temperature.

5. The scanning tunneling microscope according to claim 4, wherein said cooling means includes a vessel having a hollow section in which said tip and the specimen are accommodated and a liquid storage section provided around said hollow section, and liquid helium stored in said liquid storage section.

6. The scanning tunneling microscope according to claim 1, wherein said emitting means selectively applies a magnetic field in one direction or in the opposite direction to said tip and polarizes the spins of the electrons, emitted from said tip in one direction or in the opposite direction.

7. The scanning tunneling microscope according to claim 6, wherein said display means includes a first tunnel current I₊ by the electrons whose spins are polarized in one direction and a second tunnel current I_- by the electrons whose spins are polarized in the opposite direction, and means for calculating (I₊ -I_-)/(I₊ +I_-) which represents the spin distribution from the first tunnel current and the second tunnel current.

8. The scanning tunneling microscope according to claim 7, wherein said moving means has means for outputting positional signals corresponding to the position of said tip and said display means has means for outputting (I₊ -I_-)/(I₊ +I_-) in accordance with the positional signals.