Introduction Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a sub-nanometer scale imaging and measurement tool that can be used to determine a sample’s surface topology and measure its mechanical properties. AFM imaging relies on a small AFM probe that is raster scanned over a surface to generate an AFM image. As shown in fi gure 1, AFM probes have two major components; a fl exible cantilever, which is attached to the probe chip, and a sharp probe tip near the end of the cantilever. The cantilevers generally have either triangular or rectangular geometries. AFM probes can be manufactured from a variety of materials, but most are made of silicon and/or silicon nitride (Si3N4).