ABSTRACT
The scanning force microscope is one example of a larger class of instruments called scanning probe microscopes that create images in a fundamentally new way. Unlike conventional light or electron microscopes, which use lenses and focused radiation to form images at a distance, scanning probe microscopes create images by scanning the sample at close range with a sharp sensor tip. The various kinds of probe microscopy-scanning force microscopy (SFM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), near-field scanning optical microscopy, (NSOM), scanning ion conductance microscopy, (SICM), etc.-use different kinds of probe tips and exploit different kinds of tip-sample interactions. The SFM uses a sharp point mounted on a flexible cantilever and measures the force of interaction between tip and sample. The STM uses a sharp conductive tip and measures a small electrical current between tip and sample. The NSOM uses a tip made from a sharpened optical fiber and measures the absorption, emission, and scattering of light by the sample.
