--- type: "Article" title: "Traveling into the infinitely small… AFM at the service of extreme surfaces" description: "What are the modes and applications of AFM? FILAB laboratory is pleased to announce the arrival of AFM at its analytical facility in Dijon in early September 2022. It has been equipped with an FX40 Automatic AFM, which is equipped..." resource: "https://filab.fr/en/blog/2025/11/traveling-into-the-infinitely-small-afm-at-the-service-of-extreme-surfaces/" tags: ["Analytical Techniques", "EN", "pll_69200a36887cd"] timestamp: "2026-01-22T13:46:14Z" published: "2025-11-21T06:44:05Z" language: "en" author: "bwa" --- # Traveling into the infinitely small… AFM at the service of extreme surfaces ## What are the modes and applications of AFM? ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Bandeau-couverture-Wordpress-1.png) FILAB laboratory is pleased to announce the arrival of AFM at its analytical facility in Dijon in early September 2022. It has been equipped with an FX40 Automatic AFM, which is equipped with AI. It enables faster and more reliable analysis. This makes FILAB the first laboratory in Europe to be equipped with an AI-powered AFM. The Atomic Force Microscope is a high-resolution local probe microscope that can be used to visualize the topography of a sample’s surface as well as its **tribology**, **mechanical behavior**, **electrical behavior**, and **chemical behavior**. This method allows for **point-by-point analysis of the sample surface** using a probe consisting of a **nanometric tip**. This microscope therefore offers the possibility of studying the infinitely small. Depending on the problem encountered, AFM offers several modes: contact mode and non-contact mode. But then, which modes are used for which applications? ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/differents-modes-afm-1024x518.png) ### The mode non-contact - The non-contact mode of the AFM allows the topography of the sample to be measured without damaging it. ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-non-contact.png) ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-non-contact-2.png) ### The mode contact As for the AFM’s contact mode, it also allows the **topography** to be measured (although this is less commonly used) but above all to perform various measurements:  - **mechanical** - **electrical** - **magnetic** To do this, it is necessary to **adapt the type of tip** according to the sample (stiffness constant and application). Discover the different ways to contact the AFM: ### FMM mechanical mode Among all contact modes, the FMM mechanical mode allows **measurements of mechanical properties** (Young’s modulus, deformation, adhesion) to be taken. ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-contact-fmm-2.png) ### Mechanical nanoindentation mode Mechanical nanoindentation mode, meanwhile, allows various measurements to be taken:  - **Hardness measurements** and**Young’s modulus** - **Indentation area measurements** to calculate hardness ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-mecanique-nanoindentation.png) ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-electrique-C-AFM-pinpoint-4.png) ### C-AFM pinpoint electric mode With the C-AFM pinpoint electric mode, it allows you to: - **Measuring electrical properties** (current, resistance, I/V spectroscopy) - **Apply voltage between the tip and the sample.** ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-electrique-C-AFM-pinpoint-1.png) Leakage current observed in c-AFM on an SRAM component (contact with the n-doped area below) (Constant voltage applied during imaging) ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-electrique-C-AFM-pinpoint-2.png) Images at different voltages and single-point spectroscopy ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-electrique-C-AFM-pinpoint-3.png) Current mapping on a pentacene film deposited on Ni (111) ### EFM pinpoint electric mode The purpose of this mode is to achieve: - **electrostatic property measurements** (surface voltages) - **applications of a voltage between the tip and the sample** ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-electrique-EFM-pinpoint-2.png) Highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) Surface potential measurement, work function (KPFM measurement): ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-electrique-EFM-pinpoint-4.png) ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-electrique-EFM-pinpoint-3.png) Particles on Si Detection of nanowires in PET (EFM measurement): ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-electrique-EFM-pinpoint-1.png) ### MFM magnetic mode With this MFM magnetic mode, **measurements of magnetic properties** (differentiation of magnetic domains) can be performed. ![](https://filab.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/mode-magnetique-MFM.png) [Want to learn more about extreme surface?](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/laboratory-surface-characterization/laboratory-analysis-outermost-surface.md) [We are available to answer your questions.](https://filab.fr/en/about-us/the-team.md) [CONTACT US](https://filab.fr/en/contact-form.md)