Comments on: Building a Scanning Tunneling Microscope for less than $100 http://www.ilovephysics.com/2007/10/15/building-a-scanning-tunneling-microscope-for-less-than-100/ Physics education research, electronic materials, and the musings of Christopher Moore, Ph.D. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:20:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Pictures of the STM :: ilovephysics.com http://www.ilovephysics.com/2007/10/15/building-a-scanning-tunneling-microscope-for-less-than-100/comment-page-1/#comment-91069 Pictures of the STM :: ilovephysics.com Mon, 03 Jan 2011 03:14:46 +0000 http://www.ilovephysics.com/?p=117#comment-91069 [...] Building a scanning tunneling microscope for less than $100 STM update STM is working! Pictures of the STM [...] [...] Building a scanning tunneling microscope for less than $100 STM update STM is working! Pictures of the STM [...]

]]> By: STM Update :: ilovephysics.com http://www.ilovephysics.com/2007/10/15/building-a-scanning-tunneling-microscope-for-less-than-100/comment-page-1/#comment-91068 STM Update :: ilovephysics.com Mon, 03 Jan 2011 03:13:34 +0000 http://www.ilovephysics.com/?p=117#comment-91068 [...] Building a scanning tunneling microscope for less than $100 STM update STM is working! Pictures of the STM [...] [...] Building a scanning tunneling microscope for less than $100 STM update STM is working! Pictures of the STM [...]

]]> By: Christopher Moore http://www.ilovephysics.com/2007/10/15/building-a-scanning-tunneling-microscope-for-less-than-100/comment-page-1/#comment-91035 Christopher Moore Mon, 20 Dec 2010 02:57:42 +0000 http://www.ilovephysics.com/?p=117#comment-91035 Tungsten wire works pretty well as a tip. Basically, the same tip material you would use for a commercial STM. Grab the wire with some needle nose pliers, gently squeeze wire cutters at an angle, and pull as you cut. You'll typically make about 3-5 crappy tips for every one decent tip. With this type of STM (hell, for any STM), getting atomic resolution (or any image of quality) requires a lot of patience and luck. Tungsten wire works pretty well as a tip. Basically, the same tip material you would use for a commercial STM. Grab the wire with some needle nose pliers, gently squeeze wire cutters at an angle, and pull as you cut. You’ll typically make about 3-5 crappy tips for every one decent tip. With this type of STM (hell, for any STM), getting atomic resolution (or any image of quality) requires a lot of patience and luck.

]]> By: alaa http://www.ilovephysics.com/2007/10/15/building-a-scanning-tunneling-microscope-for-less-than-100/comment-page-1/#comment-90988 alaa Sat, 21 Aug 2010 13:59:13 +0000 http://www.ilovephysics.com/?p=117#comment-90988 i see her an excellent work thank you for these details but i want to ask about the tip ? john anderson do not talk about how to make it he just talk about the holder that is a pin from IC socket can u explain how to make it ? good luck i see her an excellent work
thank you for these details
but i want to ask about the tip ?
john anderson do not talk about how to make it
he just talk about the holder that is a pin from IC socket

can u explain how to make it ?

good luck

]]> By: Christopher Moore http://www.ilovephysics.com/2007/10/15/building-a-scanning-tunneling-microscope-for-less-than-100/comment-page-1/#comment-68673 Christopher Moore Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:46:10 +0000 http://www.ilovephysics.com/?p=117#comment-68673 The distance is controlled via a low-voltage unimorph piezo disk and an analog feedback circuit. We can control the distance via an analog set-point voltage on the difference amplifier. There is no vacuum. This is an air device and is therefore only able to resolve a few systems on the atomic scale (like graphite). Our STM does not work (yet!). However, we are not the first to construct this design. It has been built and it works elsewhere. The distance is controlled via a low-voltage unimorph piezo disk and an analog feedback circuit. We can control the distance via an analog set-point voltage on the difference amplifier.

There is no vacuum. This is an air device and is therefore only able to resolve a few systems on the atomic scale (like graphite).

Our STM does not work (yet!). However, we are not the first to construct this design. It has been built and it works elsewhere.

]]> By: Saranyan http://www.ilovephysics.com/2007/10/15/building-a-scanning-tunneling-microscope-for-less-than-100/comment-page-1/#comment-68458 Saranyan Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:11:58 +0000 http://www.ilovephysics.com/?p=117#comment-68458 man..thats wonderful if u can build an STM for so cheap a price. Are you able to control the distance at the tunnelling regime. how do u manage with the temperature and vacuum? May I will send my first sample to you. all the best with ur work. If this works, developing countries will have access to STMs too. Good luck! man..thats wonderful if u can build an STM for so cheap a price. Are you able to control the distance at the tunnelling regime. how do u manage with the temperature and vacuum?
May I will send my first sample to you. all the best with ur work. If this works, developing countries will have access to STMs too. Good luck!

]]> By: Chris Moore http://www.ilovephysics.com/2007/10/15/building-a-scanning-tunneling-microscope-for-less-than-100/comment-page-1/#comment-65538 Chris Moore Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:41:02 +0000 http://www.ilovephysics.com/?p=117#comment-65538 We are still working hard! We ran into a few problems with the electronics and the piezo disk that we are trouble shooting. My student is getting a grade for this project this semester, so he will be required to keep this blog up-to-date on our progress. You should start seeing more updates in the next week or two. Also, I have another student building a sputtering system for thin-film deposition. He will be writing about that project here, as well. We are still working hard! We ran into a few problems with the electronics and the piezo disk that we are trouble shooting.

My student is getting a grade for this project this semester, so he will be required to keep this blog up-to-date on our progress. You should start seeing more updates in the next week or two.

Also, I have another student building a sputtering system for thin-film deposition. He will be writing about that project here, as well.

]]> By: Scott http://www.ilovephysics.com/2007/10/15/building-a-scanning-tunneling-microscope-for-less-than-100/comment-page-1/#comment-65208 Scott Sat, 12 Jan 2008 03:04:27 +0000 http://www.ilovephysics.com/?p=117#comment-65208 Any updates to the STM project? It looks like a really cool project and was wondering if you got it up and running yet? Any updates to the STM project? It looks like a really cool project and was wondering if you got it up and running yet?

]]> By: TuLyn http://www.ilovephysics.com/2007/10/15/building-a-scanning-tunneling-microscope-for-less-than-100/comment-page-1/#comment-61200 TuLyn Wed, 17 Oct 2007 04:43:47 +0000 http://www.ilovephysics.com/?p=117#comment-61200 I am developing a site. There are hundreds of free math video tutorials already. I am aiming to submit over 1000 video tutorias by the end of 2007. Do you need <a href="http://tulyn.com" rel="nofollow">help with algebra</a>. Take a look at my site. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I am developing a site. There are hundreds of free math video tutorials already. I am aiming to submit over 1000 video tutorias by the end of 2007. Do you need help with algebra. Take a look at my site. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

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