Emerging Scanning Probe–Based Setups for Advanced Nanoelectronic Research

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) refers to a family of techniques that have become essential to study many different properties of materials and devices at the nanoscale. All of them have in common that they use an ultrasharp probe tip to scan the surface of a sample. However, although many of these techniques are interrelated, some of them have become very sophisticated and require specific and deep study. While there are plenty of review articles available for most of these techniques, newer developments need to be carefully analyzed in a critical manner in order to promote their development. In this progress report, some of the newest SPM-based developments that are expected to generate a larger impact in the field of nanoelectronics are discussed, and critical advice on how to improve each of them is provided. In particular, the combination of wear and electrical tests; scanning gate microscopy; the integration of conductive atomic force microscopy into scanning electron microscopy; and the integration of a scanning probe into transmission electron microscopy, multiprobe scanning tunneling microscopy, multiprobe atomic force microscopy, and fountain-pen nanolithography are focused on.