In short
- Choose the AFM mode from the property you need to map: topography, mechanics, electrical, piezoelectric, magnetic or thermal.
- Then check the sample: fragile or sticky samples need a mode without shear; electrical modes need a conductive tip, and current modes a conductive path (except sMIM).
- Several properties can be measured on the same area of the Nano-Observer II without changing the set-up.
Selection table
What do you want to measure?
| Property | AFM mode | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Topography of most samples, with material contrast | Resonant (tapping) mode with phase imaging | Height image; the phase signal separates materials even when the surface is flat (e.g. copolymers at low force). |
| Topography on hard samples; friction | Contact mode, lateral force (LFM) | Tip in permanent contact; LFM records the friction signal. |
| Stiffness, adhesion, Young’s modulus — soft or fragile samples | Soft MEKA (on Soft Interaction Control) | Quantitative maps from one force curve per point, with no shear. |
| Fast relative stiffness contrast — robust samples | Force modulation | Amplitude and phase of a contact oscillation; not suited to fragile or sticky surfaces. |
| Single-point mechanics, deep indentation | Nano-indentation, force spectroscopy | Force–distance curves at chosen points: adhesion, stiffness, modulus. |
| Surface potential, work function | KPFM / KFM, single-pass HD-KFM™ | Contact potential difference in mV; HD-KFM measures it in the same pass as the topography, 0.1–0.5 nm from the surface. |
| Charges, qualitative electrostatic contrast | EFM | Electrostatic force gradient — fast screening of charged domains. |
| Current and resistance | Conductive AFM, ResiScope™, Soft ResiScope™ | ResiScope covers 10² to 10¹² Ω (50 fA to 1 mA) in one scan without changing amplifier; Soft ResiScope does it without friction. |
| Permittivity, carrier concentration and type — no conductive path | sMIM | Six channels from one scan (sMIM-C, sMIM-R, dC/dV and dR/dV amplitude and phase). |
| Piezoelectric and ferroelectric domains | PFM, Soft PFM | Amplitude and phase of the piezoresponse; vector PFM and local hysteresis. |
| Magnetic domains | MFM, VMFM | Magnetic force gradient in lift mode; VMFM applies an in-plane or out-of-plane field while imaging. |
| Thermal properties | SThM, Soft SThM | Local temperature and thermal-conductivity contrast. |
| Samples in liquid or under potential control | EZ Liquids, EC-AFM | Imaging in fluid; electrochemical cell for in-situ studies. |
| Temperature, humidity or gas | EZ Temperature, gas / humidity control | In-situ studies such as polymer crystallization or phase transitions. |
Before choosing
Five questions about your sample
- Is the sample soft, sticky or loosely bound? Then avoid modes that drag the tip across the surface: resonant mode for imaging, Soft Interaction Control for mechanical and electrical maps.
- Do you need numbers or contrast? Phase imaging, EFM and force modulation give contrast; Soft MEKA (modulus, adhesion), KPFM (mV) and ResiScope (Ω, A) give values.
- Is there a conductive path to the area of interest? Conductive AFM and ResiScope need one; KPFM and sMIM do not.
- Does the measurement need a range of conditions? Temperature, humidity, gas, liquid, electrochemical potential or a magnetic field are added with the EZ accessories, the environmental control and the VMFM.
- Do you need several properties on the same area? Correlating potential, current and mechanics on the same grains or domains is often what explains a device; check that the modes can be combined without moving the sample.
Still unsure? Send us a description of the sample and the question — we suggest the mode and the probe, and can scan your sample.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Which AFM mode should I use for soft or fragile samples?
For imaging, resonant (tapping) mode at low force. For quantitative mechanics, Soft MEKA on Soft Interaction Control: the tip touches each point once with a set force and lifts away, so there is no shear. Electrical and piezoelectric measurements also run in this mode (Soft ResiScope, Soft PFM).
Which AFM mode measures electrical properties?
It depends on the property: surface potential and work function with KPFM or single-pass HD-KFM; current and resistance with conductive AFM or ResiScope (10² to 10¹² Ω in one scan); permittivity and carrier concentration without a conductive path with sMIM; qualitative charge contrast with EFM; piezoresponse with PFM.
What is the difference between KPFM and EFM?
EFM detects the electrostatic force gradient and gives a qualitative picture of charged areas. KPFM nulls the electrostatic force with a feedback loop and returns the contact potential difference in volts, so it maps surface potential and work function quantitatively.
What is the difference between conductive AFM and ResiScope?
Conventional conductive AFM uses a fixed current amplifier range, so conductive areas saturate while insulating areas sit in the noise. ResiScope selects the amplifier gain in real time and measures resistance from 10² to 10¹² Ω (50 fA to 1 mA) in one scan, with an optional protective current limit.
Tapping mode or contact mode?
Resonant (tapping) mode suits most samples, including soft ones, and gives phase contrast. Contact mode keeps the tip in contact and is the basis of lateral force, conductive AFM and PFM measurements; on soft or loosely bound samples, Soft Interaction Control gives contact-type force control without friction.
Can several AFM modes be measured on the same area?
Yes. On the Nano-Observer II, modes are switched by software without changing the set-up: HD-KFM and ResiScope with the same cantilever on the same area, PFM together with ResiScope, MFM together with HD-KFM, and topography, adhesion and stiffness from one Soft MEKA scan.
Not sure which AFM mode fits your sample?
Ask the application scientists behind our AFMs and modes — about your samples, probes, set-up or which mode fits your measurement. We answer every message personally.