The field of scanning probe microscopy is expanding rapidly. Scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopes are being utilized in applications in industry and research in the fields physics, chemistry, and materials science. To maintain the excellence of our departments, the university is obtaining scanning probe microscopes and integrating them into several laboratory courses. The targeted courses are Modern Physics Laboratory, Physical Chemistry Laboratory, Advanced Laboratory, and Surface Science. Students enroll in these courses during their sophomore, junior, and senior years. Since most of these courses are required of the respective majors, students use the equipment in multiple courses. The equipment can also be used in student research, in conjunction with independent research courses, and for a summer research program.
