Shirley Chiang’s Research Group
© Copyright 2014 Shirley Chiang
Last updated Oct. 14, 2014
Surface Microscopy by STM and LEEM
Welcome
UC Davis STM and LEEM Group
Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and Low Energy Electron Microscopy (LEEM) are high
resolution microscropy techniques for studying the surface structure of a wide variety of
materials, finding applications in the fields of physics, chemistry, engineering, and biology.
STM is capable of atomic resolution, while LEEM can provide real-time movies of nucleation
and growth phenomena on surfaces. The STM and LEEM group at UC Davis, supervised by
Professor Shirley Chiang, utilizes high resolution images from these microscopes, in
combination with other more standard surface science techniques, such as low energy electron
diffraction (LEED) and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), to investigate a broad range of
problems relating to condensed matter physics and chemistry. Recent research has focused on
systems of metals (Pb, Ag, Ir, Au) on semiconductors, particularly low-index faces of single-
crystal germanium. Much earlier work from the group described high resolution imaging of
small molecules on metal surfaces. In addition, Professor Chiang studied graphene on SiC while
on sabbatical leave in France in 2008-2009. These pages will describe the research activities,
equipment, publications, and people in this research group.