A new and sophisticated electrochemical scanning tunneling microscope design for the investigation of potentiodynamic processes

One of the main topics in electrochemistry is the investigation of the potential controlled solid/liquid interface. As a local probe technique electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy becomes more and more important for the analysis of atomic structures and local structuring effects. The described microscope is optimized for potentiodynamic imaging, i.e., the sample potential can be varied in a wide range during the scan of an image. In combination with cyclic voltammetry potential induced phase transitions on the surface can be imaged and directly correlated to distinctive profiles in the simultaneously recorded voltammogram. The new design grew out of the parallel development of the tunneling unit and the electrochemical periphery. This guarantees the best adaptation of tunneling microscopy to electrochemistry and vice versa. Low drift, high resolution, flexibility, reliability, and ease of handling are the characteristics of the new instrument.