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How does atomic force microscopy create a three-dimensional image of a surface?
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surface analysis
A scanning-electron-microscope photograph of pyroxene and plagioclase crystals (the long and the short crystals, respectively) that grew in a cavity in a fragment of Moon rock gathered during the Apollo 14 mission.
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) creates a three-dimensional image of a surface by utilizing an atomically sharp stylus, which is only a few atoms wide.1
The process involves the following steps:
- Scanning: The stylus is dragged across the sample surface.1
- Force Measurement: The instrument measures the repulsive electronic forces between the surface and the probe tip as it moves above the surface.12
- Data Translation: These surface-force measurements are recorded as a signal that describes the surface topography.1
- Imaging: This topographical data is then converted into a three-dimensional representation of the surface layer.1
Unlike scanning electron microscopy (SEM), AFM does not require a vacuum or a conductive coating, allowing for analysis in air or even underwater. While AFM provides highly detailed topographical information, it does not intrinsically provide chemical data, though researchers are actively developing methods to integrate chemical specificity into the technique.13