How Do Optical Microscopes Compare to Other Imaging Techniques?
While optical microscopes are valuable, they are often complemented by other imaging techniques in nanotechnology:
Electron Microscopes: These provide much higher resolution (down to 0.1 nanometers) by using electron beams instead of light. However, they require vacuum conditions and extensive sample preparation. Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM): AFMs can image surfaces at the atomic level by scanning a sharp tip over the sample. They are versatile but are generally slower than optical methods. Scanning Tunneling Microscopes (STM): STMs achieve atomic resolution by measuring the tunneling current between a conductive tip and the sample. They are limited to conductive or semi-conductive samples.
