Scanning probe microscopy

The authors describe a range of microscopy techniques which are based on scanning a sharp tip over a surface. With such techniques it is possible both to image surfaces to atomic resolution, and to perform local property measurements to a resolution determined by the nature of the tip-surface interaction. As well as producing surface images, applications include imaging the electronic structure of semiconductor surfaces, measuring local magnetic properties and determining tribological properties of surfaces such as adhesion, lubrication and the coefficient of friction. The scanned probe techniques described are available commercially and therefore account for the majority of applications in this rapidly growing field