"View" may not be exactly the right word. A Scanning Tunneling Microscope can be used to gather data that a computer can turn into an image, but they're not really "seeing" the individual atoms directly.
The good kind! :D
A one-Angstrom microscope allows scientists to see individual atoms. At this scale, scientists can study the arrangement and behavior of atoms within materials, which is essential for understanding the properties and behavior of matter at the atomic level.
Things To See Closer And Deeper Into The Thing They Are Looking At.
microscope
They view atoms through an electron microscope.
I can only tell you what I know about it. About ten years ago this sort of microscope showed images of lithium atoms for the first time. These are the smallest atoms apart from hydrogen and helium.
An electron microscope.
microscope
scanning tunneling microscope
B. Scanning Tunneling
scanning probe
Scientists use a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) or an atomic force microscope (AFM) to visualize atoms. These microscopes operate at the nanoscale level and rely on detecting the tiny forces that exist between the microscope tip and the atoms to create detailed images of atomic structures.