Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Atomic Force Microscopy

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

Chemokine-Receptor Modulation Shapes Neuroinflammatory and Biomechanical Responses in Organotypic Hippocampal Cultures After Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation.

ACS chemical neuroscience·2026

Same author

Validation of contact mechanics models for atomic force microscopy <i>via</i> finite elements analysis and nanoindentation experiments.

Nanoscale·2026

Same author

Indenting multicellular spheroids with various tip geometries.

European biophysics journal : EBJ·2026

Same author

Lipid Saturation and Cholesterol Drive the Mechanical Response of Lipid Bilayer to Ionic Liquid: An Atomic Force Microscopy Study.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2026

Same author

Influence of zinc oxide nanoparticles on the carbon accumulation on silver exposed to carbon dioxide hydrogenation reaction conditions.

Nanoscale·2025

Same author

Role of a capping layer on the crystalline structure of Sn thin films grown at cryogenic temperatures on InSb substrates.

Nanotechnology·2023

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 4, 2025

Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy

Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy

Published on: July 18, 2014

Large colloidal probes for atomic force microscopy: Fabrication and calibration issues.

Matteo Chighizola¹, Luca Puricelli¹, Ludovic Bellon²

¹C.I.Ma.I.Na. and Dipartimento di Fisica "Aldo Pontremoli", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.

Journal of Molecular Recognition : JMR

|October 24, 2020

Summary

Large colloidal probes (CPs) for atomic force microscopy (AFM) have poorly characterized dynamics. This study details their fabrication, calibration, and unique dynamic behaviors, offering a new spring constant calibration protocol.

Keywords:

atomic force microscopy calibration colloidal probes deflection sensitivity (invOLS)spring constant

More Related Videos

Co-localizing Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy with Other Microscopies and Spectroscopies: Selected Applications in Corrosion Characterization of Alloys

Co-localizing Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy with Other Microscopies and Spectroscopies: Selected Applications in Corrosion Characterization of Alloys

Published on: June 27, 2022

Author Spotlight: Introduction to Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays

Author Spotlight: Introduction to Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays

Published on: June 13, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 4, 2025

Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy

Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy

Published on: July 18, 2014

Co-localizing Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy with Other Microscopies and Spectroscopies: Selected Applications in Corrosion Characterization of Alloys

Co-localizing Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy with Other Microscopies and Spectroscopies: Selected Applications in Corrosion Characterization of Alloys

Published on: June 27, 2022

Author Spotlight: Introduction to Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays

Author Spotlight: Introduction to Active Probe Atomic Force Microscopy with Quattro-Parallel Cantilever Arrays

Published on: June 13, 2023

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Biophysics

Background:

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) enables micro/nanoscale force investigations.
Colloidal probes (CPs) offer advantages for force measurements due to tunable radius and defined geometry.
Dynamics of standard AFM probes are well-understood, but large CPs remain poorly characterized.

Purpose of the Study:

To describe the fabrication and calibration of large colloidal probes (CPs).
To investigate and discuss the peculiar dynamical behavior of CPs.
To present an alternative protocol for accurate spring constant calibration of CPs.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of large colloidal probes (CPs) by attaching spherical particles to tipless (TL) cantilevers.
Characterization of CP dynamics, focusing on probes with radii >10 μm.
Development and validation of a novel spring constant calibration protocol for CPs.

Main Results:

Successful fabrication and calibration of large CPs.
Detailed analysis of the unique dynamical behavior of large CPs.
Demonstration of an accurate alternative protocol for spring constant calibration.

Conclusions:

Large CPs can be effectively fabricated and calibrated.
Understanding CP dynamics is crucial for accurate force measurements.
The proposed calibration protocol enhances the reliability of AFM measurements using large CPs.