The direct visualization of atomic and molecular structures in real space can be performed by ultramicroscopies. This means all type of microscopies for which there is accessible a resolution limit going far beyond that of conventional (far-field) ligth microscopy. Basically, there are two approaches to hit this limit:

- electron microscopies as far-field microscopies using ultrashort wavelengths of the de Broglie waves of accelerated electrons
- scanning probe microscopies using local probes in connection with the near-field principle.

There will be given a review on the different methods (transmission and scanning electron microscopies on the one hand side, and scanning tunneling, scanning force and other scanning probe microscopies on the other side). Examples illustrating the wide field of applications will also be given.

Left: Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) image of a molecular network (chicken wire) of trimesic acid molecules on a graphite substrate [S.Griessl, M.Lackinger, M.Edelwirth, M.Hietschold, W.M.Heckl. Single.Mol. 3, 25 (2002)].
Right: Transmission electron micrscopy (TEM) image with atomic resolution of the interface between CrSi₂ axiotaxially grown on a Si substrate (lower part of the image) [H.Schletter. Diploma thesis. TU Chemnitz 2008]