Integration of point-contact microscopy and atomic-force microscopy: Application to characterization of graphite/Pt(111)

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Abstract
The electrical current through the point-contact junction of an AFM tip is used to image the surfaces of bulk graphite (HOPG) and the surface of a graphitized carbon monolayer on Pt(111) under ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) conditions. Lattice-resolved images are obtained simultaneously in topography, lateral friction, and contact current channels. Lattice resolution in current maps persisted up to 0.9 mA and pressures of up to 5 GPa. In both bulk graphite and the case of graphitized carbon monolayer on Pt(111), the current images show only one maximum per unit cell. In addition, the contact current images of the graphite monolayer reveal local conductivity variations. We observed local conductivity variations in the form of moiré superstructures resulting from high order commensurability with the Pt lattice.

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