STM and AFM Instrumentation Combined with Transmission Electron Microscope

STM and AFM combined with a transmission electron microscope (TEM) are powerful tools for direct investigation of structures, electronic properties, and interactions at the atomic and nanometer scale. Here, we report on three different designs of such TEM-SPM. In the first TEM-SPM design, a stepper motor performed the coarse approach. The advantage of this design was the strong pulling force that enabled notched metallic wires to be broken inside the TEM, which lead to clean sample surfaces. In the second construction a clutch combined with a one-dimensional inertial slider was added. The third type, with a new type of three-dimensional inertial slider, allowed lateral motion inside the TEM, which simplified the adjustment of tip location on the sample. Some new experimental results are included to demonstrate the capabilities of the TEM-STM and TEM-AFM.