File:Atomic_force_microscope_block_diagram.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
atomic force microscope
Sign in to saveAlso known as Scanning Force Microscope, AFM
very high-resolution type of scanning probe microscope
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Atomic force microscope by Zureks.jpg
Show 2 more facts
- Commons gallery
- Atomic force microscope
- Commons category
- Atomic force microscopes
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~40 min read
Article
(Learn how and when to remove this message)
An AFM generates images by scanning a small cantilever over the surface of a sample. The sharp tip on the end of the cantilever contacts the surface, bending the cantilever and changing the amount of laser light reflected into the photodiode. The height of the cantilever is then adjusted to restore the response signal, resulting in the measured cantilever height tracing the surface.