Talk:Atomic force microscope
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[edit] Detection Method
I think most AFM's (I know of, anyway) use the laser reflection detection method. Feel free to put back the interferometry if I'm wrong.
RE: Added some other possible detection methods. Although laser reflection is most common, things like interferometry, piezo-levers etc. are used as well in some (and growing) applications -- PMH, July 7, 2006
The original AFM as built by Binnig &co had an STM on the back to detect lever deflection. I think a few groups now are developing MEMS based levers for more accurate detection of deflection (although I can see this approach creating new problems the optical lever approach doesn't have). DJ
[edit] Tapping Mode
Also, I think tapping mode is a trademark of DI/Veeco, but I'm not sure if it's "tapping mode" in general or "TappingMode" which they've got on their website - if someone is better informed, fill me in. --Bibble 13:58, 27 Jul 2004 (UTC)
RE: Tapping mode is not a registered trademark anymore(search for TappingMode on www.uspto.gov), however the Tapping patent by DI/Veeco is still maintained.
RE: Perhaps adding more information about phase imaging and how it can detect different materials on the surface.
[edit] Force
Perhaps this article should include what force is being measured? For an AFM its the van der waals interactions between the tip and the sample, but the article doesn't indictate this. 24.59.193.0 02:19, 26 September 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Re: Force
The AFM isn't necessarily measuring the van der Waals interactions, it simply is measuring the deflection of the cantilever, of which some force is exerted on. What this implies can vary, you can get van der Waals interactions (depending if you control your experiment correctly and apply the applicable modeling theory), among/ other things, such as friction data, capillary forces, hardness of a material, etc.
[edit] Re2: Force
Added other forces besides van-der-Waals. Agree with writer above, AFM is just measuring whatever forces are present, depending on situation. Of course, Van-der-Waals is important, as it is the one force that is always present. Maybe a discussion of different forces & related techniques would be useful or would that be too much ? -- PMH, July 7, 2006
[edit] Nanolithography and nanomanipulation
Perhaps there should be a little more info on the ability for using AFM's for manipulation, for example nanolithography, or for moving around and cutting up large molecules like DNA?
--Kiwifish 04:51, 5 January 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Force-distance measurements
It also needs discussion of force-distance curves as the second most important application after imaging. I migh get to it one of these days. -- PMH, July 7, 2006
Added a section on force-distance measurements. - Aug 22, 2006
[edit] SEM resolution
Can somebody do something about the 100 nm resolution for SEM? It seems much to low, even in the Wikipedia SEM article it says: "Depending on the instrument, the resolution can fall somewhere between less than 1 nm and 20 nm." While sub-atomic resolution is possible with the AFM (Hembacher et al. Science 305 (2004) 380-383) the normal resolution is not much different from SEM.
I deleted the sentence about SEM resolution. --Grmf 16:06, 27 July 2006 (UTC)
