Deformation-free topography from combined scanning force and tunnelling experiments

We show that by measuring force and stiffness on a constant-current scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) contour a deformation-free topography can be extracted. Withreference to mono- and bicomponent self-assembled monolayers, we find that the characteristicdepression pattern and the protrusions on a multicomponent film found in STM are to a greatextent due to electronic effects. © 1993 IOP Publishing Ltd.