Atomic force microscope tip, SEM

Atomic force microscope tip. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a cantilever and tip. Atomic force microscopy is arguably the most versatile and powerful microscopy technology for studying samples at nanoscale. It is versatile because an atomic force microscope can not only image in three-dimensional topography, but it also provides various types of surface measurements to the needs of scientists and engineers. It is powerful because an AFM can generate images at atomic resolution with angstrom scale resolution height information, with minimum sample preparation.The business end of an atomic force microscope is the tip, the extremely sharp probe that interacts with the sample and produces the wide variety of physical and chemical information about the specimen's surface that is often unique to this form of microscopy.Magnification: x3300 when printed at 10 centimetres wide.