STM Tip

An STM (Scanning Tunneling Microscope) tip is a very sharp, metal probe used to examine surfaces at the atomic level. When the tip is brought extremely close to a conductive surface, a tiny electric current flows between them, which depends on the distance. By moving the tip and measuring these currents, scientists can create detailed images showing the arrangement of individual atoms. The tip acts like a highly sensitive finger, detecting the surface's landscape at an extremely small scale, enabling visualization and study of materials' atomic structures with extraordinary precision.