The scanning tunneling microscope as a structure modifying tool.

In this paper, we explore the possibility that surface charge induced by the scanning tunneling microscope will influence the structure of the surface under investigation. In general, we find that the emission currents limit the induced charge densities and preclude major structural modifications on the more stable surfaces. However, the possibility of modifying less stable structures or of reducing the transition temperatures for transformations between different surface phases does not exist and will be discussed in detail.