Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Atomic Force Microscopy01:08

Atomic Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a type of scanning probe microscopy that can analyze topographic details of various specimens like ceramics, glass, polymers, and biological samples. AFM offers over 1000 times more resolution than the optical imaging system. Images generated from AFM are three-dimensional surface profiles, offering an advantage over the flat, two-dimensional images from other imaging techniques.
The AFM Probe
The probe is regarded as the heart of any AFM setup and comprises the...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Diffused Beam Energy to Dope van der Waals Electronics and Boost Their Contact Barrier Lowering.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2022
Same author

Mesoscopic Structures and Coexisting Phases in Silica Films.

The journal of physical chemistry. C, Nanomaterials and interfaces·2022
Same author

Achieving μeV tunneling resolution in an in-operando scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and magnetotransport system for quantum materials research.

The Review of scientific instruments·2020
Same author

Barrier Formation at the Contacts of Vanadium Dioxide and Transition-Metal Dichalcogenides.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2019
Same author

Growth of vanadium dioxide thin films on hexagonal boron nitride flakes as transferrable substrates.

Scientific reports·2019
Same author

Gate-Tunable Thermal Metal-Insulator Transition in VO<sub>2</sub> Monolithically Integrated into a WSe<sub>2</sub> Field-Effect Transistor.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2019

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid
10:25

Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid

Published on: December 20, 2016

Modeling noncontact atomic force microscopy resolution on corrugated surfaces.

Kristen M Burson1, Mahito Yamamoto, William G Cullen

  • 1Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742-4111, USA.

Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology
|April 13, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) faces challenges imaging rough surfaces. A new model shows topographic contours are attenuated, deviating from standard force laws for these complex materials.

Keywords:
SiO2graphenemodelnoncontact atomic force microscopyvan der Waals

More Related Videos

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid
08:58

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid

Published on: December 2, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 23, 2026

Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid
10:25

Sub-nanometer Resolution Imaging with Amplitude-modulation Atomic Force Microscopy in Liquid

Published on: December 20, 2016

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid
08:58

Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid

Published on: December 2, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Surface science
  • Scanning probe microscopy
  • Materials characterization

Background:

  • Noncontact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) typically studies atomically flat crystalline surfaces.
  • Many technologically relevant surfaces are rough or amorphous, posing imaging challenges.
  • Existing models may not accurately represent NC-AFM on non-ideal surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the experimental difficulties of high-resolution imaging of rough surfaces using NC-AFM.
  • To develop a minimal model for NC-AFM that accounts for surface roughness.
  • To analyze the impact of surface corrugation on topographic measurements and force laws.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a quasi-1-D minimal model for NC-AFM.
  • Modeling van der Waals interactions between a spherical tip and a corrugated surface (sinusoidal model).
  • Simulation of tip-surface interactions at close distances (within 5 Å).

Main Results:

  • The model predicts an attenuation of topographic contours by approximately 30% for tip-surface distances within 5 Å.
  • Significant deviations from the standard Hamaker force law were observed for a sphere interacting with a corrugated surface.
  • The study highlights the limitations of applying models developed for flat surfaces to rough materials.

Conclusions:

  • High-resolution NC-AFM imaging of rough surfaces requires specialized models that account for substrate corrugation.
  • Surface roughness significantly impacts the accuracy of topographic measurements obtained via NC-AFM.
  • The findings necessitate a revision of force law interpretations when analyzing NC-AFM data from non-flat surfaces.