An atomic force microscope (AFM) maps a surface by scanning a sharp tip attached to a flexible cantilever and measuring how forces between the tip and sample change the cantilever’s response. It is a scanning-probe microscope, not a lens-based optical microscope. Depending on its probe and operating mode, an AFM can also measure selected local properties beyond surface height.
How an atomic force microscope works
- A tip interacts with the sample. A very sharp tip sits at the end of a small, flexible cantilever. It is brought close to or into contact with the surface, where forces between the tip and sample affect the cantilever.
- The probe scans across the surface. The tip or sample moves laterally, commonly using a piezoelectric positioning system. As the surface varies, the cantilever deflects or otherwise changes its response.
- The instrument detects that response. Many conventional AFMs use an optical lever: a laser reflects from the cantilever onto a position-sensitive detector. This is a common detection arrangement, not a requirement of every AFM design.
- Measurements become a map. A feedback loop may adjust the probe’s vertical position to maintain a chosen condition, or the instrument may record the changing response. The recorded vertical movement or response is used to reconstruct a surface-height map or another selected signal.
The essential principle is force sensing through the probe-cantilever response; the optical lever is one way to detect that response.
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What an AFM measures
A basic AFM scan commonly produces a map of surface topography: how the surface height changes across the scanned area. The measured signal and the instrument’s vertical movement help form that map.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWith an appropriate mode and probe, an AFM can also map other local signals. Depending on the setup, these can include mechanical properties such as stiffness or adhesion, electrical responses such as surface potential or conductivity, and magnetic interactions. These are not automatic outputs of every topographic scan; the available measurements depend on the instrument, probe, and operating mode.
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AFM modes: why the tip-sample interaction matters
AFM modes differ in how the tip interacts with the sample. Common categories include contact, intermittent (often called tapping), and noncontact operation. They are not a universal ranking: the useful choice depends on the sample and the signal being measured.
- Interaction: Consider whether the measurement should use contact, intermittent contact, or noncontact operation.
- Desired output: Decide whether you need topography or a mode-specific signal, such as phase, force, electrical response, or magnetic response.
- Sample and environment: Account for the sample’s mechanical sensitivity and whether measurement will take place in air, liquid, or vacuum.
- Probe fit: Tip geometry and probe properties need to suit both the instrument and the intended measurement.
Not every AFM supports every mode or signal channel, so a capability associated with specialized setups should not be assumed for a basic instrument.
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Does an atomic force microscope see atoms?
It can achieve atomic-scale imaging under suitable conditions, but its name does not mean that every AFM routinely resolves individual atoms. The outcome depends on the instrument, probe, sample, environment, and operating conditions. Tip shape and the details of the tip-sample interaction also influence the image and its resolution.
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Resolution figures are setup-specific, not universal specifications. For example, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology’s Laboratory for Microscopy and Spectroscopy describes a tip radius of 10–20 nm and vertical resolution typically better than 1 nm for the context on its AFM page. Those figures should not be treated as guaranteed performance for all AFMs. KIT’s AFM description and the University of Hamburg’s discussion of AFM and atomic resolution explain why imaging capability depends on conditions.
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Where AFM is used
AFM is used in materials science, physics, nanotechnology, and biological research to examine surface structure and, with suitable setups, selected local properties. Its applications span soft and hard materials. University facilities describe examples involving stiffness, adhesion, surface potential, conductivity, and magnetic interactions, alongside surface imaging and force measurement.
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- University of Melbourne Nanomaterials Learning Centre explains optical beam deflection, topographic reconstruction, and mode-dependent signal channels.
- UC Santa Barbara’s Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility describes AFM components, forces, and materials applications.
- The University of Greifswald Department of Physics discusses surface imaging and force measurement principles.
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