The effect of contact potential difference on current–voltage characteristics in scanning tunneling spectroscopy

Using the energy diagrams of asymmetric potential barriers, which are formed during the contact of two metals with different work functions, the effect of the contact potential difference on the current–voltage characteristics and differential conductivity spectra obtained using scanning tunneling spectroscopy is considered. It is shown that the obtained conclusions agree qualitatively with the experimental results for ytterbium nanofilms with a thickness of 16 monolayers (6.08 nm). However, they differ significantly quantitatively. An analysis of these differences is carried out.