NC-AFM Observation of Atomic Scale Structure of Rutile-type TiO_2(110) Surface Prepared by Wet Chemical Process

摘要

We succeeded in observing the atomic scale structure of a rutile-type TiO_2(110) single-crystal surface prepared by the wet chemical method of chemical etching in an acid solution and surface annealing in air.Ultrahigh vacuum noncontact atomic force microscopy (UHV-NC-AFM) was used for observing the atomic scale structures of the surface.The UHV-NC-AFM measurements at 450 K,which is above a desorption temperature of molecularly adsorbed water on the TiO_2(110) surface,enabled us to observe the atomic scale structure of the TiO_2(110) surface prepared by the wet chemical method.In the UHV-NC-AFM measurements at room temperature (RT),however,the atomic scale structure of the TiO_2(110) surface was not observed.The TiO_2-(110) surface may be covered with molecularly adsorbed water after the surface was prepared by the wet chemical method.The structure of the TiO_2(110) surface that was prepared by the wet chemical method was consistent with the (1 x 1) bulk-terminated model of the TiO_2(110) surface.