Nanotechnology involves the study of structures and processes which occur at the nanometer length scale. This relatively new field has impacted many areas of basic and applied science, and is projected to produce future changes which will profoundly effect the lives of everyone. This project incorporates into the Towson University curriculum experiments which provide students with an understanding of nanotechnology principles and applications. A commercially available scanning probe microscope is used to perform these experiments. This instrument, which is capable of acting as a scanning tunneling microscope as well as an atomic force microscope, fulfills immediate needs in existing laboratory courses, provides independent research projects for undergraduates, and allows the development of new courses.
