A method of measuring an interaction force comprising: providing a microelectromechanical transducer comprising: a body; a probe moveable relative to the body; and a micromachined comb drive including a differential capacitive displacement sensor to provide a sensor output signal representative of an interaction force on the probe; moving the probe relative to a sample surface, wherein the differential capacitive displacement sensor includes a plurality of sensing capacitors (130, 132, 134, 136), each sensing capacitor (130, 132, 134, 136) comprising a plurality of comb capacitors and each configured to provide capacitance levels which, together, are representative of a position of the probe, wherein each of the comb capacitors of the sensing capacitors includes a fixed electrode comb coupled to the body and a moveable electrode comb coupled to the probe, and wherein moving the probe comprises oscillating the probe in a direction normal to the sample surface, and wherein, in response to moving the probe in the direction normal to the sample surface, a gap between the moveable electrode combs and the fixed electrode combs decreases for a portion of the plurality of sensing capacitors (130, 132, 134, 136) and increases for a remaining portion of the plurality of sensing capacitors (130, 132, 134, 136); and determining an interaction force between the probe and the sample surface using the sensor output signal, as the probe is moved relative to the sample surface and out of contact with the sample surface. providing a microelectromechanical transducer comprising: a body; a probe moveable relative to the body; and a micromachined comb drive including a differential capacitive displacement sensor to provide a sensor output signal representative of an interaction force on the probe; a body; a probe moveable relative to the body; and a micromachined comb drive including a differential capacitive displacement sensor to provide a sensor output signal representative of an interaction force on the probe; moving the probe relative to a sample surface, wherein the differential capacitive displacement sensor includes a plurality of sensing capacitors (130, 132, 134, 136), each sensing capacitor (130, 132, 134, 136) comprising a plurality of comb capacitors and each configured to provide capacitance levels which, together, are representative of a position of the probe, wherein each of the comb capacitors of the sensing capacitors includes a fixed electrode comb coupled to the body and a moveable electrode comb coupled to the probe, and wherein moving the probe comprises oscillating the probe in a direction normal to the sample surface, and wherein, in response to moving the probe in the direction normal to the sample surface, a gap between the moveable electrode combs and the fixed electrode combs decreases for a portion of the plurality of sensing capacitors (130, 132, 134, 136) and increases for a remaining portion of the plurality of sensing capacitors (130, 132, 134, 136); and determining an interaction force between the probe and the sample surface using the sensor output signal, as the probe is moved relative to the sample surface and out of contact with the sample surface.