Definition of Microscopy (introduction)

1. Microscopy uses radiation and optics to obtain a magnified image of an object. The resolution of the imaging is limited by the minimum focus of the radiation due to diffraction. For light microscopy the diffraction limit is approximately 1 um (10-6 m) and for high-resolution electron microscopy the limit is approximately 1 Å (10-10 m). Several new imaging techniques use very sharp tips or probes to acheive atomic-scale resolution (AFM, STM), or to obtain optical images below the diffraction limit (NFOM). Specific Microscopy Techniques

   • atomic-force microscopy (AFM)
   • light microscopy
   • near-field optical microscopy (NFOM)
   • scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
   • scanning-tunneling microscopy (STM)
   • transmission electron microscopy (TEM)