本論文利用掃描穿隧式電子顯微術(Scanning tunneling microscopy：STM)觀察二氧化銥(IrO2)單晶的表面，使用直立薄樣品裝置在超高真空中以切出劈裂面的方式，首次成功獲得原子級的幾個IrO2晶面，獲得晶面(110)、(120)、(130)、(67 )；晶體結構的方向利用X光單晶繞射儀和X光繞射儀判別，並從STM觀察中獲得確認。這個實驗為氧化物晶體研究找到一個得到劈出原生平面的可行方法。
在本實驗觀察到的這幾個IrO2晶面上，都可以看到亮暗間隔的原子列，符合橋接氧寬度距離，有如文獻中類似結構的TiO2和RuO2(110)晶面觀察表面顯微結果。本實驗中，劈裂面上容易存在劈裂的缺陷，使平面上會出現階梯和顆粒；IrO2表面結構大致穩定，不易受時間和些微溫度而明顯改變，超高真空加熱的穩定性可以維持到約230℃，230℃以上表面開始會有4-5nm大小的顆粒形成。在表面施加氧氣時(0.3~0.6 L)，表面的原子列上會多出明顯的亮條紋，此條紋會受探針偏壓而改變亮條紋出現的清晰度。依據RuO2和TiO2文獻的說法，氧氣吸附應當是不飽和的1f-cus-Ir位置，但是過渡金屬氧化物的電子軌域複雜、還有各種不確定因素，真正的氣體吸附機制還有賴更深入的研究。

We present scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies of Iridium dioxide (IrO2) single crystal surfaces. Using a cross-sectional STM setting and in-situ cleaving technique in ultrahigh vacuum, we have successfully obtained atom-resolved images of several IrO2 faces, e.g., (110), (120), (130), and (67 ) for the first time. To obtain different miller planes, samples with thickness less than 100 microns must be oriented by X-ray diffractometry precisely. Our approach appears generally applicable for other oxides lacking natural cleavable planes.
Bridge oxygen rows on IrO2[110] and its vicinal planes were found to be a common feature, similar to previous reports for TiO2(110) and RuO2(110). There exist cleaving damages and mild thermal treatment alleviates this problem. The surface structure is stable again thermal annealing up to ~230℃, above which 4-5 nm size aggregation starts to form. Oxygen rows on fresh-cleaved surfaces showed uniform contrast. Prolonged exposure to background gas leads to some bright and dim contrast of unknown origin. Preliminary studies of oxygen adsorption suggests plausible adsorption site as unsaturated Ir atoms. However, unexpected intricacy of imaging mechanism and effect of tip condition and oxygen vacancy has not been unambiguously determined. This calls for further detailed studies.

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