Applied Scanning Probe Methods I

Book excerpt: Examining the physical and technical foundation for recent progress with this technique, Applied Scanning Probe Methods offers a timely and comprehensive overview of SPM applications, now that industrial applications span topographic and dynamical surface studies of thin-film semiconductors, polymers, paper, ceramics, and magnetic and biological materials. First it lays the theoretical background of static and dynamic force microscopies, including sensor technology and tip characterization, contributions detail applications such as macro- and nanotribology, polymer surfaces, and roughness investigations. The final part on industrial research addresses special applications of scanning force nanoprobes such as atomic manipulation and surface modification, as well as single electron devices based on SPM.