Force Spectroscopy with the Atomic Force Microscope

Introduction and Review Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) Spectroscopy is an AFM based technique to measure, and sometimes control the polarity and strength of the interaction between the AFM tip and the sample. Although the tip-sample interaction may be studied in terms of the energy, the quantity that is measured first is always the tip-sample force, and thus the nomenclature: force spectroscopy. Unlike imaging, force spectroscopy is performed mostly when the servo feedback loop is deactivated. In force spectroscopy, the cantilever-tip assembly acts as a force sensor (Figure 1).