This volume will examine the physical and technical foundation for recent progress in applied scanning probe techniques. The first volume came out in January 2004 and the second to fourth volumes in early 2006. The field is progressing so fast that there is a need for practically one volume every 12 to 18 months to capture latest developments. These volumes constitute a timely comprehensive overview of SPM applications. Industrial applications span topographic and dynamical surface studies of thin-film semiconductors, polymers, paper, ceramics, and magnetic and biological materials. After introducing scanning probe microscopy, including sensor technology and tip characterization, chapters on use in various industrial applications are presented. The chapters will be written by leading researchers and application scientists from all over the world and from various industries to provide a broader perspective.
