Inverted-Mode Scanning Tunneling Microscopy for Atomically Precise Fabrication
Abstract
Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) enables fabrication of atomically precise structures with unique properties and growing technological potential. However, reproducible manipulation of covalently bonded atoms requires control over the atomic configuration of both sample and probe - a longstanding challenge in STM. Here, we introduce inverted-mode STM, an approach that enables mechanically controlled chemical reactions for atomically precise fabrication. Tailored molecules on a Si(100) surface image the probe apex, and the usual challenge of understanding the probe structure is effectively solved. The molecules can also react with the probe, with the two sides of the tunnel junction acting as reagents positioned with sub-angstrom precision. This allows abstraction or donation of atoms from or to the probe apex. We demonstrate this by using a novel alkynyl-terminated molecule to reproducibly abstract hydrogen atoms from the probe. The approach is expected to extend to other elements and moieties, opening a new avenue for scalable atomically precise fabrication.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2512.24431,
title = {Inverted-Mode Scanning Tunneling Microscopy for Atomically Precise Fabrication},
author = {Eduardo Barrera and Bheeshmon Thanabalasingam and Rafik Addou and Damian Allis and Aly Asani and Jeremy Barton and Tomass Bernots and Brandon Blue and Adam Bottomley and Doreen Cheng and Byoung Choi and Megan Cowie and Chris Deimert and Michael Drew and Mathieu Durand and Tyler Enright and Robert A. Freitas and Alan Godfrey and Ryan Groome and Si Yue Guo and Sheldon Haird and Aru Hill and Taleana Huff and Christian Imperiale and Alex Inayeh and Jerry Jeyachandra and Mark Jobes and Matthew Kennedy and Robert J. Kirby and Mykhaylo Krykunov and Sam Lilak and Hadiya Ma and Adam Maahs and Cameron J. Mackie and Oliver MacLean and Michael Marshall and Terry McCallum and Ralph C. Merkle and Mathieu Morin and Jonathan Myall and Alexei Ofitserov and Sheena Ou and Ryan Plumadore and Adam Powell and Max Prokopenko and Henry Rodriguez and Sam Rohe and Luis Sandoval and Marc Savoie and Khalil Sayed-Akhmad and Ben Scheffel and Tait Takatani and D. Alexander Therien and Finley Van Barr and Dusan Vobornik and Janice Wong and Reid Wotton and Ryan Yamachika and Cristina Yu and Marco Taucer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2512.24431},
year = {2026}
}