Scanning tunneling microscopy study of morphology and electronic properties in (K0.7Na0.3)Fe2−ySe2 single crystal

We investigated the microstructure of the iron selenide superconductor (K0.7Na0.3)Fe2−ySe2 with a Tc = 32 K and a near 100% Meissner screening volume fraction. Topography and electron transport properties were studied using electron microscopy and ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) techniques. Room temperature STM measurements reliably identify spatial variations of the local electronic properties of this material. The studied crystals consist of continuous regions with significantly different shapes of current-voltage curves reflecting different electronic transport properties of these regions. Fitting of the local current-voltage curves with the Simmons model for metal-dielectric-metal structure confirmed a phase separation in the sample to a metal and semiconducting phases. The observed regions have dimensions in the range of several tenths of a micrometer and indicate a phase separation in the sample.