Features of Scanning Probe Microscopes
Scanning probe microscopy is the third microscope for observing the structure of matter at the atomic scale after field ion microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Taking Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) as an example, its lateral resolution is 0.1~0.2nm, and its vertical depth resolution is 0.01nm. Such resolution can clearly observe single atoms or molecules distributed on the surface of the sample. At the same time, the scanning probe microscope can also conduct observation research in air, other gases or liquid environments.
Scanning probe microscopes have the characteristics of atomic resolution, atomic transport, and nano-microprocessing. However, due to the different working principles of various scanning microscopes in detail, the information on the surface of the sample reflected by the results obtained by them is very different. Scanning tunneling microscopy measures the distribution information of electron stations on the surface of the sample, which has atomic-level resolution but still cannot obtain the true structure of the sample. The atomic microscope detects the interaction information between atoms, so the arrangement information of the atomic distribution on the sample surface can be obtained, that is, the real structure of the sample. But on the other hand, the atomic force microscope cannot measure the electronic state information that can be compared with the theory, so the two have their own advantages and disadvantages.
