Binnig, Rohrer, Gerber and Weibel: scanning tunneling microscopy

What changed

Conducting surfaces became directly mappable through scanning tunnelling current at extremely fine spatial scale.

Scientific scope

The 1982 four-author demonstration; later atom manipulation, refined instruments and other probe microscopes are separate.

Evidence

The linked sources identify this contribution and its scope. WRS has not independently reconstructed the scientific claims. This is the 1982 four-author demonstration paper; later atomic manipulation, instrument refinements and other probe microscopes are separate.

Contributors

• Gerd Binnig · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.
• Heinrich Rohrer · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.
• Christoph Gerber · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.
• Edmund Weibel · SCIENCE: Named source author of the scoped work; individual effort shares are not measured.

• Binnig et al., Surface Studies by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (1982)

Provisional WRS assessment, edition 2026-10-16.1. Independent expert calibration is pending. This grade does not certify correctness or assign ownership.

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