This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to expose students in physics and chemistry to modern research areas by developing an inexpensive scanning tunneling microscope. The microscope will be accompanied by companion courseware suitable for use in introductory undergraduate physics and chemistry laboratories. The Phase I research will include two major tasks: the search for the most suitable design for an ambient-atmosphere STM intended for inexpensive mass production and reliable operation, and the identification of a set of interesting and important samples which are stable in air. Interaction with academic publishers, curriculum developers, faculty and students will help guide the project and assess the feasibility of the planned instrument and courseware.
