Observation of hidden parts of dislocation loops in thin Pb films by means of scanning tunneling spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study uses low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy to visualize and analyze hidden parts of dislocation loops beneath the surface of thin Pb(111) islands, revealing complex dislocation interactions.

Contribution

It demonstrates the ability to visualize hidden dislocation structures and their effects on local electronic properties in thin Pb films using combined STM/STS techniques.

Findings

Hidden dislocation loops can connect or be independent beneath the surface.

Screw dislocations influence local electronic properties and terrace thickness.

Some screw dislocations do not produce sub-surface loops.

Abstract

Local electronic properties of quasi-two-dimensional Pb(111) islands with screw dislocations of different types on their surfaces were experimentally studied by means of low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy in the regime of constant current. A comparison of the topography map, the maps of tunneling current variation and the differential tunneling conductance acquired simultaneously allows one to visualize the hidden parts of the dislocation loops under the sample surface. We demonstrate that two closely-positioned screw dislocations with the opposite Burgers vectors can either (i) connect to each other by the sub-surface dislocation loop or (ii) generate independent hidden edge dislocation lines which run towards the perimeter of the Pb island. In addition, we found a screw dislocation, which does not produce outcoming sub-surface dislocation loops. Screw dislocations and the hidden dislocations lines are the source of the non-quantized variation of the local thickness of the Pb terraces, affecting the local electronic properties.