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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. The resulting data can show surface height and, with suitable modes and probes, selected local properties. “Atomic” describes the force-based sensing method; it does not mean every AFM image resolves individual atoms.
How an atomic force microscope works
The tip is mounted at the end of a small, flexible cantilever. As the tip approaches or touches a sample, interactions between them deflect the cantilever or otherwise alter its motion. The instrument scans the tip or sample laterally—often using a piezoelectric positioning system—and detects the cantilever’s response.
To map topography, the instrument can use feedback to adjust the tip’s vertical position while maintaining a chosen interaction condition. The recorded vertical movement, or the measured signal as the tip scans, is used to reconstruct a surface-height map. The instrument senses the surface through probe interactions; it does not form an image with the lens system of a conventional optical microscope.
How cantilever motion is detected
A common design uses optical-lever detection: a laser reflects from the cantilever onto a position-sensitive detector. Changes in the reflected beam’s position indicate changes in cantilever motion. This is a widely used arrangement, not a requirement for every AFM design. The University of Melbourne Nanomaterials Learning Centre explains optical beam deflection and topographic reconstruction.
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What an AFM measures
A basic AFM scan produces information about surface topography. Depending on the operating mode, probe, and instrument, the measured signal can also reveal other local interactions or properties. These are specialized measurements, not automatic outputs of every height scan.
- Mechanical behavior: suitable methods can measure properties such as stiffness or adhesion.
- Electrical behavior: specialized modes and probes can map signals such as surface potential or conductivity.
- Magnetic interactions: appropriate probes can detect magnetic forces or interactions.
- Other interaction signals: some modes record signals such as phase or force alongside topography.
Which signals are available depends on the AFM configuration. UC Santa Barbara’s Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility describes AFM components, force interactions, and materials applications, while the University of Greifswald outlines surface imaging and force-measurement principles.
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What “atomic” means—and whether an AFM can see atoms
AFM can achieve atomic-scale imaging under suitable conditions, but the name is not a promise that every instrument or sample will show individual atoms. Resolution depends on the probe, sample, operating mode, environment, and measurement conditions. Tip geometry also affects how surface features appear, so an AFM image is a reconstruction from probe-sample interactions rather than a direct photograph.
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How AFM modes differ
Common operating approaches include contact, intermittent-contact (often called tapping), and noncontact modes. They differ in how the tip interacts with the surface and in the signals collected. There is no universally best mode: the choice depends on what is being measured and how the sample responds.
- Tip-sample interaction: decide whether contact, intermittent contact, or noncontact operation suits the measurement.
- Desired output: distinguish a topographic map from a mode-specific signal such as phase, force, electrical response, or magnetic response.
- Sample and environment: account for mechanical sensitivity and whether the measurement will be made in air, liquid, or vacuum.
- Probe and instrument fit: match tip geometry and probe properties to the instrument and intended measurement.
Not every AFM supports every mode or measurement channel. The mode and probe determine what the recorded signals can tell you about the sample.
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Where AFM is used
Researchers use AFM in materials science, physics, nanotechnology, and biological research to examine surface structure and selected local properties. Because measurements depend on the mode and probe, the technique can be adapted to soft and hard materials, but a basic topographic scan should not be mistaken for a measurement of every mechanical, electrical, or magnetic property.
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