Some of the most relevant surface science experiments which had been recently performed in order to understand the elementary surface processes of model catalytic reactions and semiconductor technology at the atomic level were described. Attention was focused on experiments performed using scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy which represented, in some cases, real breakthroughs in the understanding of these phenomena. An overview was then presented of possible future experimental techniques that might provide a more in-depth understanding of the elementary processes which formed the basis of important complex surface phenomena.

Atomic Description of Elementary Surface Processes - Diffusion and Dynamics. F.Rosei, R.Rosei: Surface Science, 2002, 500[1-3], 395-413