Scanning Probe Microscopy

Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) emerged in the early 1980s with the invention of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer at IBM Zurich in 1981. 

STM enabled atomic-scale imaging by measuring tunneling current, earning them the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986. Building on this, the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) was introduced in 1986, allowing imaging of insulating materials through force measurements. 

Since then, SPM techniques have expanded to include Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM), Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM), Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (KPFM), Conductive AFM (C-AFM), Scanning Capacitance Microscopy (SCM), and others. 

Continuous technological advances have made SPM an essential advanced technique in quantum research, surface physics and chemistry, nanotechnology, and new materials for fundamental research and innovations.