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.
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...
AFM can be operated in several modes depending on the delicacy of the sample and the information required: The tip hovers just above the surface, oscillating
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 It uses a microscopic probe, usually made of
Atomic force microscope (AFM), the key tool for surface analysis