Scanning probe microscopy

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Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is a branch of microscopy that forms images of surfaces using a physical probe that scans the specimen. An image of the surface is obtained by mechanically moving the probe in a raster scan of the specimen, line by line, and recording the probe-surface interaction as a function of position. SPM was founded with the invention of the scanning tunneling microscope in 1981.
Many scanning probe microscopes can image several interactions simultaneously. The manner of using these interactions to obtain an image is generally called a mode.

Established types of scanning probe microscopy

AFM, atomic force microscopy

* contact AFM

* non-contact AFM

* dynamic contact AFM

EFM, electrostatic force microscope

FMM, force modulation microscopy

KPFM, kelvin probe force microscopy

MFM, magnetic force microscopy

MRFM, magnetic resonance force microscopy

NSOM, near-field scanning optical microscopy, or SNOM, scanning near-field optical microscopy

PSTM, photon scanning tunneling microscopy

SCM, scanning capacitance microscopy

SGM, scanning gate microscopy

SThM, [scanning thermal microscopy

STM, scanning tunneling microscopy

SVM, scanning voltage microscopy

Advantages of scanning probe microscopy

• The resolution of the microscopes is not limited by diffraction, but only by the size of the probe-sample interaction volume (i.e., point spread function), which can be as small as a few picometres.
• The interaction can be used to modify the sample to create small structures (nanolithography).

Disadvantages of scanning probe microscopy

• The scanning techniques are generally slower in acquiring images, due to the scanning process. As a result, efforts are being made to greatly improve the [scanning rate].

• The maximum image size is generally smaller.

Programs

• [Gwyddion] - A Software Framework for SPM Data Analysis.
• [GXSM] - Gnome X Scanning Microscopy.

References

• JW Cross [SPM - Scanning Probe Microscopy Website]

External links

• [overview of STM/AFM/SNOM principles with educative videos]

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