Abstract
A new hands-on laboratory experiment using a scanning probe microscope is described for an advanced undergraduate course. The laboratory involves a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) with an emphasis on atomic scale visualization and imaging of both conductive and nonconductive materials. Well-defined crystalline materials, highly-ordered pyrolytic graphite and muscovite mica, are studied using STM and AFM, respectively. Students experience sample preparation, tip preparation, microscope setup, and data acquisition. The images are analyzed and interpreted by determination of atomic spacing, pattern and density, comparison with known crystalline structures, and discussions of tunneling current and tip-sample interactions. Direct student benefits include atomic visualization of concepts and analytical imaging techniques.
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