scanningprobemikroskopi

Scanning probe microscopy, often abbreviated as SPM, is a broad class of techniques used to create images of surfaces with atomic resolution. These microscopes do not use light to form an image, but rather employ a physical probe that scans across the surface of a sample. The interaction between the probe tip and the sample surface is measured, and this data is used to construct a topographical map of the surface.

There are several types of scanning probe microscopy, each utilizing different physical principles. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is one of the earliest and most well-known. It measures the quantum mechanical tunneling current between a sharp conductive tip and a conductive sample. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is another widely used technique that measures the forces between the tip and the sample surface. These forces can be attractive or repulsive and are typically detected by measuring the deflection of a cantilever to which the tip is attached. Other SPM techniques include magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM).

The advantages of SPM include its ability to achieve very high resolution, often down to the atomic level, and its versatility in imaging a wide range of materials, including insulators and conductors. SPM can also be performed in various environments, such as in air, liquid, or vacuum, allowing for the study of samples under different conditions. Furthermore, many SPM techniques can perform not only imaging but also manipulate individual atoms and molecules on the surface. This has made SPM an indispensable tool in fields such as materials science, nanotechnology, chemistry, and biology for surface characterization, investigation of electronic properties, and atomic-scale manipulation.