Difference between revisions of "Atomic microscope"

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An '''atomic microscope''' or '''scanning tunneling microscope''' is, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_tunneling_microscope according to Wikipedia], a powerful instrument for imaging surfaces at the atomic level. The STM can be used not only in ultra high vacuum but also in air, water, and various other liquid or gas ambients, and at temperatures ranging from near zero kelvin to a few hundred degrees Celsius. The STM is based on the concept of quantum tunneling. When a conducting tip is brought very near to the surface to be examined, a bias (voltage difference) applied between the two can allow electrons to tunnel through the vacuum between them. The resulting tunneling current is a function of tip position, applied voltage, and the local density of states of the sample. Information is acquired by monitoring the current as the tip's position scans across the surface, and is usually displayed in image form.
Whatever happened to the homebrew Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) project?
 
''I don't know. I guess I will try to re-create the project here.''
 
  
I remember someone posted plans for an atomic-resolution scanning microscope on the web.
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Basic parts needed for an STM include:
Too bad his website went offline.
 
  
Juergen Mueller has some detailed plans.
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* a computer
http://www.e-basteln.de/
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* a digital-to-analog interface
 
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* analog-to-high-voltage analog amplifiers
Parts needed for an STM:
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* piezo tube ''(are there any other alternatives for atomic-resolution positioning?)''
* computer
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** [[piezoelectric transducer | piezo disk]], modified to independently control 4 sectors: [http://openwetware.org/images/6/6e/GEM4_teachAFM.pdf], [http://www.media.mit.edu/nanoscale/courses/AFMsite/positioning.html], [http://scripts.mit.edu/~20.309/wiki/index.php?title=Lab_Manual:Atomic_Force_Microscopy_%28AFM%29], [http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biological-engineering/20-309-biological-engineering-ii-instrumentation-and-measurement-fall-2006/labs/module2.pdf], [http://www.geocities.com/spm_stm/disk_scanner.html] and [http://www.geocities.com/spm_stm/Disk_Scanner_Exp.html], [http://jessdea.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/assignment-7-diy-build-your-own-scanning-tunneling-microscope/], etc.
* computer-to-analog interface
 
* analog to high-voltage analog amplifiers
 
* piezo tube (are there any other alternatives for atomic-resolution positioning?)
 
 
* mounting hardware
 
* mounting hardware
 
* vibration isolation hardware (cases, rubber feet, bungee cords, etc.)
 
* vibration isolation hardware (cases, rubber feet, bungee cords, etc.)
* tips (there seem to be a wide variety of prices)
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* tips (''there seem to be a wide variety of prices'')
* ... what am I missing ? ...
 
 
 
What's the total cost?
 
 
 
I've heard that some people run their STMs "in solution", the tip of the probe scanning the bottom of a dish of water. So, contrary to popular belief, you do *not* need a vacuum chamber.
 
Some can run successfully in air, too.
 
 
 
''... help fill in the details ...''
 
  
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==Plans==
  
== software ==
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* Engin Ipek and Sunarni Maulan have posted schematics, source code, etc. for their 2002 [http://people.ece.cornell.edu/land/courses/ece4760/FinalProjects/s2002/sm242/ scanning tunneling microscope project] (via [http://atmega32-avr.com/pc-controlled-scanning-tunneling-microscope-using-atmega163/ "PC-controlled scanning tunneling microscope using ATMega163"]).
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*Juergen Mueller provides detailed [http://www.e-basteln.de/index_o.htm plans] and [http://www.e-basteln.de/stm.pdf schematics] (PDF) on his website.
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*The University of Münster's Physics Group provideds detailed [http://sxm4.uni-muenster.de/stm-en/ construction plans] and [http://sxm4.uni-muenster.de/stm%2Den/SCHUL-STM8.sch schematics] (Eagle)
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*A Swiss [http://www.stm-diy.ch/ high school STM project]. Provides overview, processes and [http://www.stm-diy.ch/downloads.html basic schematics] (PDF).
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*A low-cost (+/- $100) [http://www.geocities.com/spm_stm/Project.html STM project]. Good focus on the [http://www.geocities.com/spm_stm/Mechanical_discription.html mechanical portions] of the STM, but also with [http://www.geocities.com/spm_stm/Schematic_Print.html basic schematics] (PDF).
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* An [http://www.angelfire.com/electronic2/spm/ amateur STM]. Provides homebrew software.
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* Nava Whiteford. [http://hackaday.com/2015/09/30/teeny-tiny-very-small-atomic-resolution-and-the-home-hobbyist/ "Teeny tiny very small - atomic resolution and the home hobbyist"].
  
* Gwyddion ( http://gwyddion.net/ ) is a modular program for SPM (scanning probe microscopy) data visualization and analysis. Gwyddion is intended for analysis of height fields obtained by means of scanning probe microscopy techniques (AFM, MFM, STM, SNOM/NSOM), but generally it can be used for any other height field and image analysis. GPL.
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== Software ==
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* [http://gwyddion.net/ Gwyddion] is a modular program for SPM (scanning probe microscopy, of which STM is a subset) data visualization and analysis and is primarily intended for analysis of height fields obtained by means of SPM techniques (such as STM). FOSS/GPL.
  
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* GXSM - the [http://gxsm.sourceforge.net/ Gnome X Scanning Microscopy project]. The GXSM software is a powerful graphical interface for any kind of 2D and up to 4D (timed and multilayered 2D mode) data acquisition methods, but especially designed for SPM. It includes methods for 2D data (of various types: byte, short, long, double) visualization and manipulation. FOSS/GPL
  
== further reading ==
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* SPIP - [http://www.imagemet.com/index.php?main=products Scanning Probe Image Processor] software package for nano- and microscale image processing. Supports multiple formats including STM instrumentation. Commercial/free trial.
  
* [http://sxm4.uni-muenster.de Detailed plans for a STM from Universität Münster]
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== Further Reading ==
* [http://scienceofspectroscopy.info/edit/ The Science of Spectroscopy wiki has some information on atomic force microscopes]
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* University of Erlangen [http://www.fkp.uni-erlangen.de/methoden/stmtutor/stmindex.html technical STM theory].
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* [http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/01/03/0239230 Slashdot thread] on building your own STM.
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* [http://heybryan.org/instrumentation/instru.html#binnig "Bryan's analytical instrumentation page"] has a bunch of literature and web links related to STM.
 
* Wikibooks has [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Nanotechnology/Scanning_probe_microscopy a chapter on Scanning probe microscopy]
 
* Wikibooks has [http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Nanotechnology/Scanning_probe_microscopy a chapter on Scanning probe microscopy]
 
* Wikipedia has a nice introduction to various forms of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_probe_microscopy Wikipedia: Scanning probe microscopy] such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_tunneling_microscope Wikipedia: Scanning tunneling microscope], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_force_microscope Wikipedia: Electrostatic force microscope], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_nanoscope Wikipedia: Atomic nanoscope] etc.
 
* Wikipedia has a nice introduction to various forms of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_probe_microscopy Wikipedia: Scanning probe microscopy] such as [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_tunneling_microscope Wikipedia: Scanning tunneling microscope], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrostatic_force_microscope Wikipedia: Electrostatic force microscope], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_nanoscope Wikipedia: Atomic nanoscope] etc.
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**  5. Sears et al., "A Scanning Tunneling Microscope for Undergraduate Laboratories", Computers in Physics Jul/Aug, 427-430, (1990)
 
**  5. Sears et al., "A Scanning Tunneling Microscope for Undergraduate Laboratories", Computers in Physics Jul/Aug, 427-430, (1990)
 
* [http://www.ibm.com/search/?en=utf&v=11&lang=en&cc=&lv=w&q=%2Bmicroscope%20%2Burl.all:research.ibm.com IBM research] has published many articles about microscope design, including the above Pohl article.
 
* [http://www.ibm.com/search/?en=utf&v=11&lang=en&cc=&lv=w&q=%2Bmicroscope%20%2Burl.all:research.ibm.com IBM research] has published many articles about microscope design, including the above Pohl article.
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* [http://web.archive.org/web/20080106164837/http://www.biophysik.physik.uni-muenchen.de/PlasticAFM/ "How to build a Plastic-AFM head"]: The performance of this instrument has been investigated in a paper (Kühner 2007)
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* Ferdinand Kühner, Robert A. Lugmaier, Steffen Mihatsch, and Hermann E. Gaub, "Print your atomic force microscope", Rev. Sci. Instrum. 78, 075105 (2007).
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* [http://www.google.com/custom?domains=makezine.com&sitesearch=makezine.com&q=scanning+tunneling+microscope Makezine: scanning tunneling microscope] mentions
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* [http://www.carbondesigninnovations.com/ Carbon Design Innovations] sells carbon nanotube probes for atomic microscopes.
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* [http://openwetware.org/wiki/DIYbio/FAQ/Equipment#How_can_I_make_an_atomic_force_microscope_.28AFM.29.3F Open Wetware: "How can I make an atomic force microscope (AFM)?"]
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* [https://sites.google.com/site/afocuscorp/piezo-stage "AFM Piezo Stage Design"]
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* [lns.epfl.ch/publications/papers/1996_Gasser_RSI.pdf "Design of a ''beetle-type'' atomic force microscope"]
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* [http://sxm4.uni-muenster.de/stm-en/ "scanning tunneling microscope construction kit"]
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* Rene Pascal. [http://www.beugungsbild.de/stm/stm_colorimages.html "Color-Images with the Scanning Tunneling Microscope"].
  
  
 
[[Category:Projects]]
 
[[Category:Projects]]

Latest revision as of 04:56, 12 December 2021

An atomic microscope or scanning tunneling microscope is, according to Wikipedia, a powerful instrument for imaging surfaces at the atomic level. The STM can be used not only in ultra high vacuum but also in air, water, and various other liquid or gas ambients, and at temperatures ranging from near zero kelvin to a few hundred degrees Celsius. The STM is based on the concept of quantum tunneling. When a conducting tip is brought very near to the surface to be examined, a bias (voltage difference) applied between the two can allow electrons to tunnel through the vacuum between them. The resulting tunneling current is a function of tip position, applied voltage, and the local density of states of the sample. Information is acquired by monitoring the current as the tip's position scans across the surface, and is usually displayed in image form.

Basic parts needed for an STM include:

  • a computer
  • a digital-to-analog interface
  • analog-to-high-voltage analog amplifiers
  • piezo tube (are there any other alternatives for atomic-resolution positioning?)
  • mounting hardware
  • vibration isolation hardware (cases, rubber feet, bungee cords, etc.)
  • tips (there seem to be a wide variety of prices)

Plans[edit]

Software[edit]

  • Gwyddion is a modular program for SPM (scanning probe microscopy, of which STM is a subset) data visualization and analysis and is primarily intended for analysis of height fields obtained by means of SPM techniques (such as STM). FOSS/GPL.
  • GXSM - the Gnome X Scanning Microscopy project. The GXSM software is a powerful graphical interface for any kind of 2D and up to 4D (timed and multilayered 2D mode) data acquisition methods, but especially designed for SPM. It includes methods for 2D data (of various types: byte, short, long, double) visualization and manipulation. FOSS/GPL
  • SPIP - Scanning Probe Image Processor software package for nano- and microscale image processing. Supports multiple formats including STM instrumentation. Commercial/free trial.

Further Reading[edit]