Principle workings of the AFM

 

We were asked to design an infographic explaining the principal workings of the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). The next 3 images are iterations of the same design and principle, made over the period of one year supporting different needs and focuses. The images re-use the same elements and styles, but none of them are exactly the same, to avoid copyright issues.

The figures all incorporate the basics of AFM microscopy: A sharp tip attached to a cantilever which probes a surface or specimen, a laser which is shone on the tip’s head, and reflected onto a sensor. Since the tip is rather flexible, the angle in which the laser is reflected changes, and that can be read on the sensor surface.
There are some different modes in which an AFM can operate, which are displayed in the 3 graphics. The first represents a mode where the tip literally ‘scratches’ the surface. The second mode osscilates the tip with a certain amplitude, so that it is only periodically in contact with the surface. This method does less damage to more irregular surfaces, but it has other disadvantages. The third method is the most complicated of the 3, where the stage does all the movement instead of the tip. This method is very precise, but as a trade off it takes much longer to scan the surface.