Imaging of localized electronic states at a nonconducting surface by single-electron tunneling force microscopy

Localized electronic states near a nonconducting SiO2 surface are imaged on a similar to 1 nm scale by single-electron tunneling between the states and a scanning probe tip. Each tunneling electron is detected by electrostatic force. The images represent the number of tunneling electrons at each spatial location. The spatial resolution of the single electron tunneling force microscope is determined by quantum mechanical tunneling, providing new atomic-scale access to electronic states in dielectric surfaces and nonconducting nanostructures.