SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPE (STM)
The Scanning Tunneling Microscope allows to measure the topography of metals, the position of their atoms, and the electron characteristics in the metal.
A metallic tip is positioned very close to the surface of the metal. A voltage applied between the tip and the surface creates a tunneling current. By varying the tip position or the voltage, one can obtain information’s about the topography or the physical characteristics of the metal surface.
Scanning tunneling microscope used for the observation of thin films.
(H. Raguet, Photothèque CNRS)