An optimized current preamplifier, consisting of a shunt resistor followed by a high speed field-effect transistor input instrumentation amplifier, appears suitable for use in scanning tunneling microscopy. The preamplifier has a transimpedance of 100 M Omega, a measured 3 dB bandwidth of 200 kHz, low phase distortion, and excellent noise performance. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.