Full beam Atomic Force Microscopy

This contribution reports a method for increasing the imaging speed of an Atomic Force Microscope. The is done by allowing the complete length of the cantilever beam to interact with the sample surface rather than just the free end. The deflection of the beam is then observed at uniformly distributed points along the beam length using an array of laser spots and detectors. This scheme enables measurement of an entire line on the sample surface simultaneously, thus eliminating the need for rastering and reducing imaging time. This speed up is illustrated in this contribution through simulation results.