STM/STS and BEES study of nanocrystals

This work investigates the electronic properties of very small gold and semiconductor particles using scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) and ballistic electron emission spectroscopy (BEES). Complementary theoretical works were also performed. The first theoretical work was to calculate the quantized states in the CdS/HgS/CdS quantum-well-quantum-dot nanocrystals using eight-band envelope method. Measured spectroscopy data on gold nanocrystals have rich features. In order to understand and relate these features to the electronic properties of the nanocrystals, we developed a tunneling model. This model includes the effect of excited states which have electron-hole pairs. The relaxation between discrete energy levels can also be included in this model. We also considered how the nanocrystals affect the BEES current. In this work an ultra-high vacuum and low-temperature STM was re-designed and re-built. The BEEM/BEES capabilities were incorporated into the STM. We used this STM to image gold nanocrystals and semiconductor nanocrystals. STS and BEES spectra of gold nanocrystals were collected and compared with calculations.