Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a widely used technique in all fields of science and engineering, due to its ability to measure surfaces with sub-nanometre resolution and high accuracy. The main disadvantage of the scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) is that it can only be used on conductive samples, which limits its application considerably. This fact led to the development of the AFM in 1986 by Binnig, Quate and Gerber. The most important parts in the construction and operation of an AFM are: the deflection detection method, the scanner, the feedback control mechanism and the tip or probe. Depending on the type of study to be performed, the AFM tip can be functionalised in different ways; normally this will require one or more steps. Specialised scanning modes of AFM such as phase imaging, are described in a separate section. This is followed by a section devoted to the applications of AFM.