Scanning tunneling microscope

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/scanning-tunneling-microscope

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How deep is Scanning tunneling microscope?0.01 nm (10 pm)
2. What is Scanning tunneling microscope known for?First direct imaging of individual atoms on a surface
3. What is the operational principle?Quantum tunneling of electrons between a sharp tip and a conductive sample
4. What is the inventors and affiliation?Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer, IBM Zurich
5. How does the scanning tunneling microscope see atoms?When the tip is a few angstroms from the surface, electrons can tunnel through the tiny gap. A small voltage creates a current that changes a lot with distance, so the microscope can map the surface with atomic detail.
6. Why did scientists get a Nobel Prize for the scanning tunneling microscope?In 1986, the inventors Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer won the Nobel Prize because their STM was the first tool that could directly image and touch individual atoms, a huge breakthrough in science.

Quantum Tunneling: A quantum mechanical phenomenon where a particle can pass through a potential energy barrier even if its kinetic energy is less than the barrier height.
Local Density of States (LDOS): The probability of finding an electron at a particular energy and location within a material.
Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM): A class of microscopes that use a physical probe to scan a surface, including STM, AFM, and others.