This volume contains the proceedings of the NATO-Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) "Manipulation of atoms under high fields and temperatures: Applications," sponsored by the NATO Scientific Affairs Division, Special Programme on Nanoscale Science. This ARW took place in Summer '92, in the pleasant surroundings of the Hotel des Thermes at Charbonnieres les Bains -Lyon, France. Gathering some fifty experts from different fields, the ARW provided an opportunity to review the basic principles and to highlight the progress made during the last few years on the nanosources and the interactions between atomic-scale probes and samples. The motivation is to use the novel properties attached to the atomic dimensions to develop nanoscale technologies. The perception of the atomic-scale world has greatly changed since the discovery and development, in the early 80's, of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) by Binnig and Rohrer. Beyond the observation of individual atoms, which is now routine, the concept of playing with atoms has become commonplace. This has lead to the fashioning of tools at the atomic scale, to the deposition, the displacement and the creation of atomic structures and also to the knowledge of interactions and contacts between atoms. Nanotips ending with a single atom are sources of ultra-fine charged beams. They can be unique tools for high resolution observations, for micro fabrications by micro-machining and deposition at a scale not previously attainable, with a working distance less stringent than with STM devices."

The surface of solids had long been considered simply the external boundary which determined the outside appearance of the solids but had no intrinsic character of its own. The concept that surfaces have specific properties and are the first and foremost means of communication between individual things and the rest of the universe is fairly new, coming into prominence only in the early sixties. This new concept of surface properties was the result of a vast accumulation of knowledge due to recent development of research in this area. This breakthrough of surface science resulted from the combined action of four factors: (i) control of surface sample prep aration, (ii) control of the surface's environment, (iii) improve ment of measurement tools and techniques, and (iv) the importance of surface properties in many new industrial areas. Nearly eighty techniques are now available to help us answer to the following questions: what is the surface structure or arrangement of surface atoms? what are the atomic species present? what is the spatial distribution of foreign atoms? what are the nature and distribution of possible defects on the surface? what is the electronic structure of the surface atoms? what is the motion of atoms on the surface? In general, two or more analytical techniques are used concurrently to assure unequivocal answers to problems. Different techniques employ different combina. tions of incident probes and the scattered or secondary particles that convey information regarding the sur faces.