Atomic Force Microscopy

With reported resolution on the scale of fractions of a nanometer, more than 1000 times greater than the optical diffraction limit, atomic force microscopy AFM or scanning force microscopy SFM is a very-high-resolution kind of scanning probe microscopy SPM. With a resolution that has been proved to be on the order of fractions of a nanometer, atomic force microscopy AFM is a form of scanning probe microscopy SPM, and it is more than 1000 times more sensitive than the optical diffraction limit. Using a mechanical probe, data is obtained by "feeling" or "touching" the surface. Precision scanning is made possible by piezoelectric components that permit small, exact motions under electrical control. The Atomic Force Microscope does not, despite its name, employ nuclear force. The force measurement, topography imaging, and manipulation are the three main capabilities of the AFM. AFMs can be used to measure the forces acting on the solution and the robe in force measurement. This is accomplished by raster scanning the sample's location in relation to the tip and measuring the height of the probe, which corresponds to a continual contact between the probe and the sample see Topographic picture for additional information. A pseudocolor plot is a typical way to show the surface topography. Although Binnig, Quate, and Gerber's initial article on atomic force microscopy in 1986 speculated about the possibility of achieving atomic resolution, significant experimental obstacles had to be overcome before Ohnesorge and Binnig were able to demonstrate atomic resolution of defects and step edges in ambient liquid conditions in 1993.