Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a scanning probe technique that measures nanoscale surface topography and mechanical properties by monitoring interactions between a sharp cantilever tip and a sample surface. Invented by Gerd Binnig in 1986 as an extension of scanning tunneling microscopy, AFM requires neither electrical conductivity nor vacuum operation, making it applicable to virtually any material. It provides three-dimensional topographic maps with sub-nanometer vertical resolution and lateral resolution approaching nanometers, along with simultaneous measurements of mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties.