Local contact potential difference of molecular self-assemblies investigated by Kelvin probe force microscopy

Self-assembled pi-conjugated oligomer nanowires have been investigated by frequency modulation atomic force microscopy and amplitude modulation Kelvin probe force microscopy under ultra high vacuum. The distance dependence of the contact potential difference (CPD) has been analyzed by combining high resolution imaging with distance-spectroscopy measurements. It is shown that the apparition of a damping contrast characterizes the onset of short range electrostatic (SRE) forces, which are responsible for the occurrence of local CPD (LCPD) modulations correlated with the molecular lattice. By working at the onset of the damping contrast, the tip-surface separation can be adjusted to minimize the contribution of SRE forces to the measured CPD.

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