Atomic Force Microscopy of technological and biological samples

Summary Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) has been successfully used to characterize a variety of samples with different chemical composition. Polycrystalline sample preparation techniques, cleaving and careful adjustment of the imaging setup made it also possible to investigate materials with non-ideal geometry (small size, rough sample surface) down to the atomic scale. Pressed CaCO₃ powder samples of different origin have been imaged with atomic resolution. Multilayer systems of AlGaAs/GaAs and Si/GaAs on top of a GaAs substrate could be imaged readily. Single -layers of Si in GaAs could be resolved. The results demonstrate that simple sample preparation techniques and the implementation of chemical reactions can greatly enhance the analytical scope and applicability of AFM.