Scanning Probe Microscopes Information

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Scanning probe microscopes (SPM) form images of surfaces by using a physical probe that scans the specimen. The microscope enables the imaging of surfaces at the nanometer scale. SPM uses a fine probe that is scanned over a surface. Since the device does not use a beam of light or electrons, there is no restriction by the wavelength of light or electrons. The technique can resolve atoms and create 3D maps of surfaces.

Application

Specialty microscopes application types include life sciences, gemology and metallurgical microscopes, tool making, forensics, and semiconductor inspection.

Biological/life science	These types of microscopes might include those that transmit light or environmental scanning electron microscopes (SEM).
Gemological	These microscopes often use polarized light with lower magnifying powers to allow for brighter, sharper images, combined with a wide field of view.
Measuring/toolmaker	These microscopes are often used for dimensional measurement with lower magnifying powers to allow for brighter, sharper images combined with a wide field of view.
Medical/forensic	These microscopes are often hands-free, binocular microscopes with lower magnifying powers to allow for brighter, sharper images combined with a wide field of view.
Metallurgical	Often metallurgical microscopes are inverted for viewing the bottom of a sample with lower magnifying powers to allow for brighter, sharper images combined with a wide field of view.
Semiconductor inspection	Microscopes used to study the layers in a semiconductor wafer or fabricated IC component. This inspection calls for greater precision and throughput.

Types of SPMs

SPM is a general term describing a number of techniques that use a sharp probe to scan over a surface and measure a property of that surface. There are many types of scanning microscopes that all function under a similar principle as the atomic force microscope. The names and acronyms of these microscopes can be seen in the table below.

Atomic force microscopes (AFM)can be used to image any type of surface, including polymers, ceramics, composites, glass, and biological samples. AFMs use a laser which is reflected from the back of the reflective AFM lever and onto a position-sensitive detector. Proper imaging is done using the forces between the tip and the sample. The force is calculated by measuring the deflection of the lever, and knowing the stiffness of the cantilever. The equation used is given by Hook's law, F= -kz, where F is the force, k is the stiffness of the lever, and z is the distance the lever is bent.

Video credit: Mikeadams1311

Acronym	Microscope Name
AFM	Atomic Force Microscope.
BEEM	Ballistic Electron Emission Microscope.
CFM	Chemical Force Microscope.
C-AFM	Conductive Atomic Force Microscope.
ECSTM	Electrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscope.
EFM	Electrostatic Force Microscope.
Fluid FM	Fluidic Force Microscope.
FMM	Force Modulation Microscope.
FOSPM	Feature-Oriented Scanning Probe Microscope.
KPFM	Kelvin Probe Force Microscope.
MFM	Magnetic Force Microscope.
MRFM	Magnetic Resonance Force Microscope.
NSOM	Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscope.
PFM	Piezoresponse Force Microscope.
PSTM	Photon Scanning Tunneling Microscope.
PTMS	Photothermal Microspectroscopy Microscope.
SCM	Scanning Capacitance Microscope.
SECM	Scanning Electrochemical Microscope.
SGM	Scanning Gate Microscope.
SHPM	Scanning Hall Probe Microscope.
SICM	Scanning Ion-Conductance Microscope.
SPSM	Spin Polarized Scanning Tunneling Microscope.
SSRM	Scanning Spreading Resistance Microscope.
SThM	Scanning Thermal Microscope.
STM	Scanning Tunneling Microscope.
STP	Scanning Tunneling Potentiometer Microscope.
SVM	Scanning Voltage Microscope.
SXSTM	Synchrotron X-ray Scanning Tunneling Microscope.