Two decades after its invention, scanning probe microscopy has become a
widely used method in laboratories as diverse as industrial magnetic
stor- age development or structural biology. Consequently, the community
of users ranges from biologists and medical researchers to physicists
and engineers, all of them exploiting the unrivalled resolution and
profiting from the relative simplicity of the experimental
implementation. In recent years the authors have taught numerous courses
on scanning probe microscopy, normally in combination with hands-on
student experi- ments. The audiences ranged from physics freshmen to
biology post-docs and even high-school teachers. We found it of
particular importance to cover not only the physical principles behind
scanning probe microscopy but also ques- tions of instrumental designs,
basic features of the different imaging modes, and recurring artifacts.
With this book our intention is to provide a gen- eral textbook for all
types of classes that address scanning probe microscopy. Third year
undergraduates and beyond should be able to use it for self-study or as
textbook to accompany a course on probe microscopy. Furthermore, it will
be valuable as reference book in any scanning probe microscopy labora-
tory.