The application of STM and AFM in nanoprocess and fabrication

Abstract

The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and atomic force microscope (AFM) provide, not only 'eyes' but also 'hands' to investigate and modify nano-objects. Therefore, not only are high resolution images available to us, but they offer a means to construct objects in the microscopic world. In this chapter, we will introduce nanometer processing technologies based on STM and AFM. During last decade fabrication and processing at the nanometer scale have achieved great advances, based on STM and AFM. Manipulation of individual atoms and molecules has been realized, and potential applications such as molecular devices have been demonstrated. Functionalized nanostructures have been fabricated with STM- and AFM-related techniques through various physical or chemical mechanisms. We expect that process and fabrication with STM and AFM will finally go from laboratory to factory as well as to thousands of families in the coming future.