Nanoskopi

Nanoskopi is the study and practice of imaging, measuring, and manipulating objects at nanometer scales. It encompasses techniques capable of resolving features on the order of nanometers and below, using electrons, scanning probes, or advanced optical methods.

Techniques used in nanoskopi include electron microscopy (transmission electron microscopy, TEM; scanning electron microscopy, SEM) which employ electron beams to produce high-resolution images of materials and biological specimens, often requiring vacuum and special preparation. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) maps surface topography and other properties by physical interaction or tunneling of a sharp tip. Near-field optical microscopy (NSOM or SNOM) achieves sub-wavelength optical resolution by collecting light through a nanoscale aperture or tip placed very close to the sample. In biological imaging, super-resolution fluorescence techniques such as STED, PALM, and STORM bypass the diffraction limit to localize single molecules with nanometer precision. Other approaches include electron tomography for 3D nanoscale reconstructions and X-ray nanotomography for thicker samples.

Historically, nanoskopi emerged from the diffraction limit identified by Abbe in the 1870s, with major advances in electron microscopy in the mid-20th century and in scanning probe techniques from the 1980s onward. The 2000s saw rapid development of super-resolution optical methods, expanding the accessible contrast mechanisms and sample types.

Applications span materials science, nanofabrication, semiconductors, and biology, where nanoskopi enables characterization of structures, interfaces, and processes at the nanoscale. Limitations include sample preparation requirements, potential damage from beams or imaging conditions, instrumentation cost, and the need for specialized expertise.