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A
device in which a sharp conductive tip is moved across a conductive surface
close enough to permit a substantial tunneling
current (typically a nanometer
or less). In a common mode of operation, the voltage is kept constant and the
current is monitored and kept constant by controlling the height of the tip
above the surface; the result, under favorable conditions, is an atomic-resolution map of the surface reflecting a
combination of topography and electronic
properties. The STM has been used to manipulate atoms
and molecules
on surfaces.
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