Field emission/field-ion microscopy as a tool for thin film and surface studies

This paper presents a review of some of the uses of field emission and field-ion microscopy in the study of thin films and surfaces. Examples have been chosen to show how the behaviour of individual atoms on surfaces, the adsorption of gases, the surface migration of layers and the structure of multilayer films have been investigated. The article emphasises the parameters that can be measured and the applications and limitations of the technique, rather than its mode of operation.