The success of the Springer Series Applied Scanning Probe Methods I¿VII and the rapidly
expanding activities in scanning probe development and applications worldwide made it a natural
step to collect further speci c results in the elds of development of scanning probe microscopy
techniques (Vol. VIII) characterization (Vol. IX) and biomimetics and industrial applications
(Vol. X). These three volumes complement the previous set of volumes under the subject topics
and give insight into the recent work of leading specialists in their respective elds.
Following the tradition of the series the chapters are arranged around techniques
characterization and biomimetics and industrial applications. Volume VIII focuses on novel
scanning probe techniques and the understanding of tip sample interactions. Topics include near
eld imaging advanced AFM s-
cializedscanningprobemethodsinlifesciencesincludingnewselfsensingcantilever systems
combinations of AFM sensors and scanning electron and ion microscopes calibration methods
frequency modulation AFM for application in liquids Kelvin probe force microscopy scanning
capacitance microscopy and the measurement of electrical transport properties at the nanometer
scale. Vol. IX focuses on characterization of material surfaces including structural as well as
local mechanical characterization and molecular systems. The volume covers a broad spectrum of
STM AFM investigations including fullerene layers force spectroscopy for probing material
properties in general biological lms .and cells epithelial and endothelial layers medical
related systems such as amyloidal aggregates phospholipid monolayers inorganic lms on
aluminium and copper - ides tribological characterization mechanical properties
ofpolymernanostructures technical polymers and near eld optics.
