High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy Enables New Applications
Keyword(s):
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is one of the most powerful and dynamic methods for performing nanoscale imaging and materials characterization, enabling scientists and researchers to attain atomic resolution and measure nano-mechanical material properties in-situ, all while requiring minimal sample preparation. In spite of these clear advantages, user adoption of AFM has been limited by the technique's slow imaging speed as compared to light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, recent advances in AFM technology have increased AFM imaging speeds by over an order of magnitude, opening up a wide range of new applications while greatly improving the user experience.