Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction to the Next Big Idea

Tools for Measuring Nanostructures

Scanning Probe Instruments

Some of the first tools to help launch the nanoscience revolution were the so-called scanning probe instruments. All types of scanning probe instruments are based on an idea first developed at the IBM Laboratory in Zurich in the 1980s. Essentially, the idea is a simple one: if you rub your finger along a surface, it is easy to distinguish velvet from steel or wood from tar. The different materials exert different forces on your finger as you drag it along the different surfaces. In these experiments, your finger acts like a force measurement structure. It is easier to slide it across a satin sheet than across warm tar because the warm tar exerts a stronger force dragging back the finger. ...