Field ion microscopy and beyond in some aspects of surface and nanoscience applications

Abstract

AbstractTwo of the most important aspects of atomic resolution microscopy are the atomic resolution imaging of the sample and the nondestructive chemical analysis of preselected sample atoms. Field ion microscopy (FIM) is the first microscopy to achieve atomic image resolution, whereas the atom‐probe FIM is the first one to achieve single‐atom chemical analysis of preselected sample atoms, though, unfortunately, it is destructive. As microscopy progresses, now both electron microscope and scanning probe microscope have achieved atomic image resolution. STM may one day be able to do nondestructive chemical analysis of single sample atoms using thermally stable and chemically inert single‐atom sharp tip for the measurement of the electronic density of states of these atoms. Here, I will discuss a principle of STM chemical analysis as well as how field ion microscopy studies have instigated some of the later studies of scanning tunneling microscopy in surface and nanoscience applications. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.