Investigation of quasi-one-dimensional orthorhombic tantalum trisulfide using scanning tunneling microscopy

This thesis describes the study of the quasi-one-dimensional material orthorhombic tantalum trisulfide. TaS3 and other transition metal trichalcogenides have been studied extensively because of their unique electronic properties. However, this study presents the first scanning tunneling microscope imaging of two-dimensional flakes of TaS3. To study this material, we first modified a preparation tool on the microscope, and cleaned the microscope vacuum system to enable imaging at ultra-high vacuum. We achieved atomic-resolution imaging of TaS3 in order to better understand its crystal structure, which has been under investigation for decades. This thesis also involved the use of scanning tunneling spectroscopy to perform the first study of the material’s electronic properties at the two-dimensional level. The results are not fully conclusive, but they do provide valuable information about a material that shows potential for novel electrical applications at the nanoscale