Principle and Applications of Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy
Scanning ion conductance microscopy(SICM) is one type of scanning probe microscopy(SPM) techniques.By measuring the ionic current of an ultra-micropipette,it can be used to map the surface topography of a sample at high resolution without any contact.SICM has many remarkable advantages,such as high spatial resolution,simple preparation of the probe and no damage to the sample surface,particularly suitable for imaging living cells under physiological condition.Therefore,SICM is an important scanning probe microscopy technique complementary to scanning electrochemical microscopy and atomic force microscopy.SICM has been employed to image soft interfaces and surfaces,such as cell surface and its microstructure.In addition,SICM can be used in conjunction with other techniques to study the relationship between cell topography and function;it can also control the deposition of specific molecules to achieve nanometer-scale microscopic operation and fabrication.Herein,the history,principle,instrumentation,applications and prospects of SICM have been reviewed.