AFM’s ability to work in various environments—including air, vacuum, and liquids—has led to breakthroughs in several fields:
At its core, an AFM operates much like a record player. It uses a microscopic probe, usually made of silicon or silicon nitride, attached to a flexible cantilever. As the probe scans across a surface, atomic-scale forces (such as , electrostatic, or capillary forces) cause the cantilever to bend or vibrate. Licensed by Google Scanning Probe Microscopy: Atomic Force Microsc...
The tip is dragged directly across the surface. While it provides high-resolution data for hard materials, the frictional forces can damage soft biological samples. Licensed by Google The tip is dragged directly
To translate this physical bending into data, a laser beam is reflected off the back of the cantilever onto a . Even minute movements of the tip shift the laser’s path, which the detector records to generate a precise 3D topographic map of the surface. Primary Imaging Modes Even minute movements of the tip shift the
The tip hovers just above the surface, oscillating at its resonance frequency. It detects attractive forces without touching the sample, making it ideal for the most fragile specimens.
The cantilever oscillates and "taps" the surface rapidly. This reduces friction and lateral forces, making it the standard for imaging polymers and biological molecules like DNA. Diverse Applications across Sciences