Platinum Surface Study by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy*

Platinum (Pt) has numerous applications from catalytic converters to dentistry tools, and a visual aid is essential to further study on Pt. Mapping the atomic structure using the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) reveals the crystal orientation and visualizing a single atom will assist the understanding of the structural material. The project includes the design and assembly of the STM as well as the scanning of the material. Vibration isolation will be a key aspect of the scanning and is inspected for a successful scan. A tungsten tip that is etched to an atomic point is used to scan the surface of the material with a bias current.