Scanning tunneling microscopy of defects in Ag- and Sb-bearing galena

Thomas Sharp, Jiu Zheng Nan Jiu Zheng, I. S T Tsong, P R Buseck

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has been used to investigate defects in Ag- and Sb-bearing galena from Zacatecas, Mexico. Large-area scans produced images of topographic features that formed during cleavage. Pits occur that are from 10 to 300 nm in diameter and >30 nm deep and are surrounded by what appear to be crystal fragments. These pits are interpreted as the remains of diaphorite inclusions that were plucked during cleavage. Defects in surface structure consist of atoms that are laterally displaced from their ideal positions, resulting in kinking of atomic rows that parallel [110]. These defects are unlike any reported in previous STM studies of galena, suggesting that they are unique to the Ag- and Sb-bearing samples. A possible explanation for these local disruptions of the structure is strain caused by grouped substitution of Ag and Sb for Pb. -from Authors

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1438-1442
Number of pages5
JournalAmerican Mineralogist
Volume75
Issue number11-12
StatePublished - 1990

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geophysics
  • Geochemistry and Petrology

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