Control Techniques for Increasing the Scan Speed and Minimizing Image Artifacts in Tapping-Mode Atomic Force Microscopy: Toward Video-Rate Nanoscale Imaging

The atomic force microscope (AFM) [1] is a mechanical microscope capable of producing three-dimensional images of a wide variety of sample surfaces with nanometer precision in air, vacuum, or liquid environments. This article provides an overview of the AFM and its three main modes of operation, with a focus on the tapping mode of operation. The challenges associated with obtaining high-speed images with a tapping-mode AFM while minimizing image artifacts are outlined and control techniques that have been developed to overcome these challenges are reviewed.