Atomic-Force Microscopy (AFM). Lecture 1: Introduction to Nanomechanics. SPM & AFM Instrumentation

Lecture 1 of the course on Atomic-Force Microscopy (AFM) delivered to master and PhD students of Biological Department at Shenzhen MSU-BIT University. Atomic Force Microscopy is a mighty technique not only to visualize microstructure of nanoobjects, but also to measure various properties at nanoscale such as electric, magnetic, adhesive and so on. This method demonstrates resolution on the order of fractions of a nanometer, which is more than 1000 times better than the optical diffraction limit. The goal of this course is to give a sound theoretical and practical foundation in Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for students without any prior knowledge in this area with emphasis on biological applications. As a result, students should understand the main principles of AFM, its modes of operation, general procedures for the acquisition of high-quality images, how to optimize the measurements, and how to analyze the data. ________