Atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy maps a surface by scanning a sharp tip across it and measuring tip–sample forces. It can image surfaces and measure local mechanical properties at nanometer scales.

AFM cantilever: A flexible beam that holds an AFM tip and bends or oscillates in response to tip–sample interactions. Its deflection or oscillation is the signal used to infer surface properties.
Scanning probe microscopy: A family of methods that raster a sharp probe over a surface to measure local properties. AFM is one member of this probe-based imaging family.
Atomic force spectroscopy: A set of AFM measurements that quantify local forces or mechanical responses rather than only mapping topography. It extracts adhesion, stiffness, and other properties from tip–sample force curves.
Scanning tunneling microscopy: A scanning-probe method that maps conductive surfaces by measuring quantum tunneling current between tip and sample. Unlike AFM, it requires an electrically conductive pathway for its primary signal.
AFM calibration: The determination of an AFM instrument's conversion factors, such as cantilever stiffness and deflection sensitivity. Quantitative force measurements depend on reliable calibration.
AFM tip: A sharp probe attached to a cantilever, whose apex interacts with a sample surface. Its shape and sharpness set the lateral detail an image can resolve.
Interatomic force: The interaction between atoms arising from electromagnetic and quantum-mechanical effects. These interactions produce the forces that bend or drive the AFM cantilever.
Nanoindentation: A method for measuring material hardness and elastic properties by pressing a small indenter into a surface. AFM tips can act as calibrated indenters for nanoscale mechanical tests.
Scanning electron microscopy: A microscopy method that scans a focused electron beam across a specimen and detects emitted signals. It images with electrons rather than a mechanically interacting surface probe.
Cantilever spring constant: A measure of the force required to bend a cantilever by a unit distance. Uncertainty in this value propagates into reported AFM forces.

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