The puzzle of contrast inversion in DNA STM imaging

Errez Shapir, Juyeon Yi*, Hezy Cohen, Alexander B. Kotlyar, Gianaurelio Cuniberti, Danny Porath

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

28 Scopus citations

Abstract

DNA has been at the center of an imaging effort since the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). In some of the STM imaging reports the molecules appeared with negative contrast, i.e., "submerged" under the metal background and darker. We demonstrate the phenomenon of contrast inversion in DNA STM imaging by controlled and spontaneous contrast inversions and by the dependence of the DNA apparent height with respect to the surface on the imaging bias voltage. Using these characterizations, we formulate a model explaining the above phenomenon by resonant tunneling through virtual states in the vacuum between the STM tip and the DNA molecule.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)14270-14274
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Physical Chemistry B
Volume109
Issue number30
DOIs
StatePublished - 4 Aug 2005

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