Name: Building a Scanning Tunneling Microscope - Full Scan Attempt+Visualization Code
Start: 2025-11-13T18:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-11-13T20:00:00-05:00
Location: Rockville Memorial Library

***In Person Location:*** Rockville Library, second floor meeting room (Meeting Room 3).

We are experimenting with a new virtual join link - [https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers](https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers)
If you can make it in person, that's always recommended!

We've been able to build both an electrical system, and refine a motor approach sequence that is promising. We are now onto the details of attempting a full vibration isolated scan of atoms! Join us for this event and maybe you can be there when we get our first scan results (but no promise it happens this week). We will also use Cursor's AI to investigate visualization software.

Our community is building (and documenting for other teams) how to build a scanning tunneling microscope using a mix of common and 3D printed parts. This will allow us to scan and visualize a single atom - an ambitious we are doing over the course of a few months.

The MoCo Makers community is one of the most innovative and competent groups in Maryland, and we've done everything from [publishing cancer research](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38136356/), to [launching products](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gotim/cozy-curvy-multi-contour-pillow), [winning grants](https://covidinfocommons.datascience.columbia.edu/awards/2014255), and inspiring thousands.

Now our biggest challenge yet has appeared. We are building a Scanning Tunneling Microscope, that will allow us to scan and visualize single atoms.

Does it sound hard? Perhaps.. However! I have every confidence that we are now operating at a level were we can take on this mean, cross-functional project. We continue to build on our past successes, and a key technology we previously applied was increasing the signal of small voltages using OpAmps - which we did during our custom pH Probe project - [https://www.mocomakers.com/ph-probe/](https://www.mocomakers.com/ph-probe/) \- That technology is exactly what we need to get this machine working\, and at a high precision\!

To get a better idea of what we are doing, see our reference project here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g)

All starting CAD, code, and reference files should exist. However, let's be the first Maker community to document the build process and share it with learners around the world.

We have a bit over $2,000 in materials costs, so if you want to sponsor this project, and get banners at events with 20K attendees, and access to our email broadcast of 30K members, please contact matt@mocomakers.com

We are also open to university, lab, or community partnerships so feel to reach out if you want to be part of this project.

Together, we can do incredible things.

***In Person Location:*** Rockville Library, second floor meeting room (Meeting Room 3).

To Join Virtually: https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers

Matthew Zamora

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Building a Scanning Tunneling Microscope - Full Scan Attempt+Visualization Code

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Building a Scanning Tunneling Microscope - Full Scan Attempt+Visualization Code

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