Abstract
The field ion microscope is the starting point for this survey. It provided the first photograph of individual atoms. Muller, the pioneer of this technique, went on to develop the atom probe, which allowed individual ions to be identified. An early landmark was the demonstration that grain boundaries are only of atomic thickness. More recently, a Cottrell atmosphere has been directly observed in an Fe–C alloy. The high resolution transmission electron microscope and the scanning transmission electron microscope are also discussed. Work using the latter is leading to improved understanding of grain boundary chemistry. The survey is concluded with an account of the scanning tunnelling microscope: this innovation is revolutionising the study of surfaces. Using the techniques described, atoms can be manipulated separately in a controlled manner and structures can be tailor-made.
MST/1321
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