The research, in the general area of Analytical and Surface Chemistry, focuses on developing an understanding of the fundamental aspects and capabilities of the scanning tunneling microscope. The work promises to exploit important new applications for this powerful instrument capable of obtaining striking images of individual atoms and molecules. An extremely stable ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscope operating at 4K, equipped with a wide range of surface science facilities, will be used to try to study the vibrational spectra of single molecules adsorbed on solid surfaces using inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy. A second instrument, designed to operate over a temperature range of 4K to 150K, will be used to study site-to-site hopping rates of thermally activated diffusion of adsorbates. These studies promise to provide some of the best atomic and molecular pictures available, provide a unique combination with existing surface science methods, lead to an understanding of the bonding of molecules at specific surface sites, and enhance our understanding of surface diffusion.
