It was developed in 1981 . Its inventors , Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer ( at IBM ZÃ 1\/4 rich ) , won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986 . Its development in 1981 earned its inventors , Gerd Binnig and Heinrich Rohrer ( at IBM ZÃ 1\/4 rich ) , the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1986 .