Experimental
Surface diffusion may be studied by a variety of techniques, including both direct and indirect observations. Two experimental techniques that have proved very useful in this area of study are field ion microscopy and scanning tunneling microscopy. By visualizing the displacement of atoms or clusters over time, it is possible to extract useful information regarding the manner in which the relevant species diffuse-both mechanistic and rate-related information. In order to study surface diffusion on the atomistic scale it is unfortunately necessary to perform studies on rigorously clean surfaces and in ultra high vacuum (UHV) conditions or in the presence of small amounts of inert gas, as is the case when using He or Ne as imaging gas in field-ion microscopy experiments.
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—Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)
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