Abstract

This chapter is dedicated to scanning probe microscopy (SPM) operated at cryogenic temperatures, where the more fundamental aspects of phenomena important in the field of nanotechnology can be investigated with high sensitivity under well-defined conditions. In general, scanning probe techniques allow the measurement of physical properties down to the nanometer scale. Some techniques, such as scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning force microscopy, even go down to the atomic scale. Various properties are accessible. Most importantly, one can image the arrangement of atoms on conducting surfaces by scanning tunneling microscopy and on insulating substrates by scanning force microscopy. However, the arrangement of electrons (scanning tunneling spectroscopy), the force interaction between different atoms (scanning force spectroscopy), magnetic domains (magnetic force microscopy), the local capacitance (scanning capacitance microscopy), the local temperature (scanning thermo microscopy), and local light-induced excitations (scanning near-field microscopy) can also be measured with high spatial resolution. In addition, some techniques even allow the manipulation of atomic configurations.

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