We Can Figure This Out.org
Virtual Lab: Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM)
 University of Virginia
             
 
© 2003-Present, John C. Bean
 
The solution is to add a feedback circuit that will move the tip in and out in so that the current is instead held constant.

The tip's movement then tracks the atomic shape of the sample surface.

We can then record the surface's atomic shape by simply recording the tip's movement (more about this later).
 
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