1981: IBM's Scanning Tunneling Microscope
The first scanning tunneling microscope was invented in 1981 by Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer of IBM's Zurich Lab in Switzerland. Scanning tunneling microscopes use the quantum mechanics principle of electron tunneling to scan a conductive sample’s surface.
By applying a voltage between the tip and the sample surface, electrons will tunnel through the two, creating a small electrical current. This current is extremely sensitive to the distance between the probe and the surface; thus scanning the surface and recording the current yields a very accurate picture of the sample surface. Later advances on the technique made manipulation of individual atoms possible with potential applications for materials engineering.
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