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Science 13 May 1994:
Vol. 264. no. 5161, pp. 942 - 945
DOI: 10.1126/science.264.5161.942
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Articles

Observation of Quantum-Size Effects at Room Temperature on Metal Surfaces With STM

Phaedon Avouris 1 and In-Whan Lyo 1

1 IBM Research Division, T. J. Watson Research Center, P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA.

Surface steps act as confining barriers for electrons in metal-surface states. Thus, narrow terraces and small single-atom—high metal islands act as low-dimensional, electron-confining structures. In sufficiently small structures, quantum-size effects are observable even at room temperature. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy is used to image the probability amplitude distributions and discrete spectra of the confined states. Examination of the electronic structure of the steps provides evidence for electron-density smoothing and the formation of step-edge states. Estimates of the electron-confining barriers are obtained.

Submitted on January 28, 1994
Accepted on March 30, 1994


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Atomic-Scale Dynamics of a Two-Dimensional Gas-Solid Interface.
S. J. Stranick, M. M. Kamna, and P. S. Weiss (1994)
Science 266, 99-102
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)