Ultrahigh-vacuum cleaving system for sub-100-microm crystals.

An ultrahigh-vacuum cleaver has been developed for cleaving small crystals with sizes of less than 100 microm. The cleaver is fully driven by stepping motors in order to control its position on the micrometer scale. A pair of blades with sharp edges is used to nip and cleave crystals. To position the edges of the blades relative to a small crystal, they are observed using an optical microscope with a long working distance. A silicon crystal with a size of approximately 80 microm has been cleaved by using the developed system, and the cleanliness of the obtained surface has been verified by photoemission spectroscopy.