Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Overview of Microscopy Techniques01:22

Overview of Microscopy Techniques

The early pioneers of microscopy opened a window into the invisible world of microorganisms. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes that leveraged nonvisible light, such as fluorescence microscopy that uses an ultraviolet light source and electron microscopy that uses short-wavelength electron beams. These advances significantly improved magnification, image resolution, and contrast. By comparison, the...
Atomic Force Microscopy01:08

Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...
Scanning Electron Microscopy01:07

Scanning Electron Microscopy

A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is used to study the surface features of a sample by using an electron beam that scans the sample surface in a two-dimensional manner. Typically, areas between ~1 centimeter to 5 micrometers in width can be imaged. SEM can be used to image bacteria, viruses, tissues as well as larger samples like insects. Conventional SEM gives a magnification ranging from 20X to 30,000X and spatial resolution of 50 to 100 nanometers.
Fundamental Principles
Accelerated...
Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy01:16

Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

Confocal microscopy is an advanced microscopic technique. The prime advantage of the confocal microscope over other microscopy techniques is its ability to block the out-of-focus light from the illuminated samples using pinholes. It is widely used with fluorescence optics to obtain high-resolution, sharp contrast images. Unlike optical microscopes, confocal microscopes use a focused beam of light laser to scan the entire sample surface at different z-planes. These microscopes are, therefore,...
Overview of Electron Microscopy01:25

Overview of Electron Microscopy

The wavelengths of visible light ultimately limit the maximum theoretical resolution of images created by light microscopes. Most light microscopes can only magnify 1000X, and a few can magnify up to 1500X. Electrons, like electromagnetic radiation, can behave like waves, but with wavelengths of 0.005 nm, they produce significantly greater resolution up to 0.05 nm as compared to 500 nm for visible light. An electron microscope (EM) can create a sharp image that is magnified up to 2,000,000X.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Attractive curves: the role of deformations in adhesion and friction on graphene.

Nanoscale advances·2022
Same author

Atomistic mechanisms for frictional energy dissipation during continuous sliding.

Scientific reports·2021
Same author

Fast and reliable pre-approach for scanning probe microscopes based on tip-sample capacitance.

Ultramicroscopy·2017
Same author

In situ studies of NO reduction by H<sub>2</sub> over Pt using surface X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2017
Same author

Dissipation and resonance frequency shift of a resonator magnetically coupled to a semiclassical spin.

Scientific reports·2017
Same author

Subsurface contrast due to friction in heterodyne force microscopy.

Nanotechnology·2016
Same journal

Unsupervised deep image prior for sparse-view and limited-angle electron tomography.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
Same journal

Determination of the structure of the tertiary phase in the alloy Al<sub>10</sub>Mo<sub>10</sub>Nb<sub>10</sub>Ta<sub>10</sub>Ti<sub>30</sub>Zr<sub>30</sub> using convergent beam electron diffraction.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
Same journal

Predictive drift compensation of multi-frame STEM via live scan modification.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
Same journal

Deep PACBED: Multitask analysis of PACBED images using deep neural networks.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
Same journal

Guided progressive reconstructive imaging: A new quantization-based framework for low-dose, high-throughput and real-time analytical ptychography.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
Same journal

Brightness optimization in a 200 keV DTEM source by geometry-driven aberration suppression.

Ultramicroscopy·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Optimizing Magnetic Force Microscopy Resolution and Sensitivity to Visualize Nanoscale Magnetic Domains
07:42

Optimizing Magnetic Force Microscopy Resolution and Sensitivity to Visualize Nanoscale Magnetic Domains

Published on: July 20, 2022

MEMS-based fast scanning probe microscopes.

F C Tabak1, E C M Disseldorp, G H Wortel

  • 1Leiden University, Niels Bohrweg 2, Leiden, The Netherlands. tabak@physics.leidenuniv.nl

Ultramicroscopy
|March 26, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

We developed a high-speed scanning probe microscope using micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS) to overcome slow imaging speeds. This novel approach enables faster surface analysis and the study of dynamic processes with improved image quality.

More Related Videos

Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays for High-Throughput Large-Scale Sample Inspection
05:04

Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays for High-Throughput Large-Scale Sample Inspection

Published on: June 13, 2023

Compact Lens-less Digital Holographic Microscope for MEMS Inspection and Characterization
10:28

Compact Lens-less Digital Holographic Microscope for MEMS Inspection and Characterization

Published on: July 5, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Optimizing Magnetic Force Microscopy Resolution and Sensitivity to Visualize Nanoscale Magnetic Domains
07:42

Optimizing Magnetic Force Microscopy Resolution and Sensitivity to Visualize Nanoscale Magnetic Domains

Published on: July 20, 2022

Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays for High-Throughput Large-Scale Sample Inspection
05:04

Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays for High-Throughput Large-Scale Sample Inspection

Published on: June 13, 2023

Compact Lens-less Digital Holographic Microscope for MEMS Inspection and Characterization
10:28

Compact Lens-less Digital Holographic Microscope for MEMS Inspection and Characterization

Published on: July 5, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Materials Science
  • Nanotechnology
  • Surface Science

Background:

  • Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is crucial for nanometer-scale surface analysis.
  • Current SPM techniques suffer from slow image acquisition speeds, limiting their use for dynamic processes.
  • High-speed imaging is essential for applications like catalysis and crystal growth studies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To design and implement a high-speed SPM system.
  • To overcome the limitations of conventional piezo scanners in SPM.
  • To enable faster and more accurate surface investigations.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a novel high-speed scanning probe microscope (SPM) utilizing micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS).
  • Integration of a MEMS z-scanner into commercial atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscope (STM) systems.
  • Characterization of MEMS scanner performance, focusing on resonance frequency and mass.

Main Results:

  • Successful design and integration of a MEMS-based z-scanner for SPM.
  • Demonstration of high-speed scanning capabilities without image distortion.
  • First successful atomic force microscope (AFM) experiments using the new MEMS scanner.

Conclusions:

  • MEMS technology offers a viable solution for high-speed SPM imaging.
  • The developed MEMS scanner overcomes limitations of conventional piezo scanners, reducing image distortion.
  • This advancement facilitates rapid surface inspection and the study of dynamic surface phenomena.