The Advanced Study Institute provided an opportunity for researchers in universities, industry and National and International Laboratories, from the disciplines ofmaterials science, physics, chemistry and engineering to meet together in an assessment of the impact of electron and scanning probe microscopy on advanced material research. Since these researchers have traditionally relied upon different approaches, due to their different scientific background, to advanced materials problem solving, presentations and discussion within the Institute sessions were initially devoted to developing a...

The importance of real space imaging and spatially-resolved spectroscopy in many of the most significant problems of surface and interface behaviour is almost self evident. To join the expertise of the tradi tional surface scientist with that of the electron microscopist has however been a slow and difficult process. In the past few years remarkable progress has been achieved, including the development of new techniques of scanning transmission and reflection imaging as well as low energy microscopy, all carried out in greatly improved vacuum conditions. Most astonishing of all has been the...