Nanoscale measurements and manipulation

This review attempts to recount, from my perspective, some of the science and technology highlights (and pitfalls) that fueled the nanoscience and nanotechnology revolution-an odyssey of sort on nanoscale measurements and manipulation. Seminal papers by several pioneering groups are given special attention as well as the role played by the AVS who hosted many of the earlier conferences and published proceedings that recorded the field's early progress. This review is organized around the introduction and evolution of the various scanning probe microscopes that have revolutionized the way we study the structure and properties of surfaces. The use of these enabling tools in pursuit of more ambitious goals in nanotechnology, such as creating unique structures by manipulating individual atoms or molecules, and developing concepts in electronics, information storage, sensor technology, nanotribology, and nanomechanics, is also discussed.