The AFM is being applied to studies of phenomena such as abrasion, adhesion, cleaning, corrosion, etching, friction, lubrication, plating, and polishing. Technical Capabilities AFM images show critical information about surface features with unprecedented clarity. The AFM can examine any rigid surface, either in air or with the specimen immersed in a liquid. On one hand, the AFM can resolve very tiny features, even single atoms, that were previously unseen. The AFM can also examine rough surfaces, since its vertical range is more than 5 microns.
Large samples fit directly in the microscope without cutting.
For comparative studies using different probes and scanning modes, we can find the spot within one micron. How the AFM makes a 3-D image A tiny stylus gently contacts the specimen. The computer stores the vertical position at each point and assembles the image. Aluminum can coating Tapping modeHeight and phase image of polymer coating on inside of aluminum beverage can. Topographic results can be enhanced by simultaneously using other modes of AFM data capture, such as phase imaging .