RHK Technology - Jan. 2008 Image of the Month Mug

Imaging condition: PtIr tip, bias voltage 0.3 V, tunnelling current 1 nA, 300 K Image sizes: 125x125 nm2, 84x84 nm2 Image description: The sulfite (SO3) and sulphate (SO4) intermediates on Ag(111) after reacting sulphur dioxide with the Ag(111)-p(4x4)-O surface oxide at 300 K. Surface sulfite orders as the (2v3x2v3)R30° hexagonal structures, and surface sulphate forms the stripe structures. The topographic nanorestructuring of the surface in the reaction shows unambiguously the mass transport and the redistribution of the silver adatoms in the adsorbate layer. The structures of sulfite and sulphate intermediates all contain the incorporated silver adatoms. The monoatomic silver islands are formed by released silver adatoms in the original surface oxide layer.