Scanning Microscopy: Symposium Proceedings (Esprit Basic Research)

With the award of a Nobel Prize in 1986 to Binnig and Rohrer for their invention of the scanning tunneling microscope, the field of scanning microscopy was given a strong boost. Microscopic techniques are used not only for research work in material and life science but also for routine applications in almost all vital sectors of everyday life. The demand for better understanding of materials and of all aspects of human life initiated an ongoing development of improved microscopic techniques. In particular, expanding the capability to access nature's foundations at the atomic level is now recognized as having the potential for major impact in information technology. This volume presents the proceedings of the IMO Symposium Fall '90, which brought together leading scientists in scanning microscopy from research institutes and industry, each of whom was invited to contribute a lecture. The lectures on the techniques of scanning microscopy and of current applications, including results of recent ESPRIT basic research actions, provide a complete overview of the state of the art.