Scanning probe microscopy

Scanning probe microscopy is a family of methods that maps surface properties by moving a fine physical probe across a sample and measuring its interaction with the surface.

Scanning tunneling microscopy: A microscopy method that maps conductive surfaces by measuring quantum tunneling current between a sharp tip and the sample. It uses tunneling current as the signal for mapping surface structure.
Scanning probe: A sharp physical tip used to interact locally with a surface during scanning probe measurements. The probe is the physical element that senses the surface point by point.
Kelvin probe force microscopy: An atomic force microscopy method that maps local contact potential differences across a surface. It maps variations in surface potential alongside topographic information.
Transmission electron microscopy: A microscopy method that forms images from electrons transmitted through a thin specimen. It images internal structure through transmitted electrons rather than tracing a surface with a probe.
Atomic force microscopy: A microscopy method that measures forces between a sharp tip and a surface to map topography and other properties. It maps surfaces through forces rather than requiring electrical conductivity.
Quantum tunneling: A quantum process in which a particle passes through an energy barrier it could not cross classically. Tunneling current provides the signal in scanning tunneling microscopy.
Magnetic force microscopy: An atomic force microscopy method that detects magnetic forces to image magnetic domains. It reveals magnetic patterns that ordinary topography maps do not show.
Scanning electron microscopy: A microscopy method that scans a focused electron beam across a specimen and detects emitted signals. It also scans point by point, but uses an electron beam instead of a physical tip.
Piezoelectric actuator: A device that changes dimensions when an electric field is applied, enabling precise positioning at small scales. Piezoelectric actuators move the probe or sample with nanometer-scale precision.
Van der Waals force: A set of weak intermolecular attractions arising from electrostatic interactions between atoms and molecules. These forces contribute to the tip–sample interaction measured in atomic force microscopy.

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