Studying complex metal-molecule interface with low temperature scanning tunneling microscope : from electronic structure to charge transport
- A fundamental understanding of complex metal-organic interfaces is widely considered to be a milestone on the way to successful realization of molecular-based electronic devices. In the context of interface studies, local tunneling methods, based on the ability of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to resolve surface structure as well as surface electronic and vibrational properties with atomic scale resolution, are considered to be very helpful. However, the potential of such methods as applied to cases of complex organic adsorption have not yet been exhaustively tested. In this thesis, a well-studied model case of complex organic adsorption was selected in order to apply a number of local STM methods aiming at a detailed characterization of the interface structural, electronic, vibrational and transport properties on the scale of a single metal-molecule contact. The main objective is twofold: On the one hand a fundamental analysis of the complex metal-organic interfaces is performed, especially the relation between their electronic structure and charge transport properties. On the other hand, we aim a detailed test of various STM-based techniques applied to the realistic problem of complex adsorption and transport measurements. Given that the chosen interface system is the best studied case of complex organic adsorption showing the highest degree of order and at the same time demonstrating very rich phenomenology one may expect that the results obtained on such a system will clearly demonstrate the potential and limitations of the experimental techniques applied.
