Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM): Complementary techniques for high resolution surface investigations

There are many analytical techniques which may be used for materials characterization depending on the type of information needed. For high resolution surface investigations, two commonly used techniques are Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Each of these techniques resolves surface structure down to the nanometer scale. However, the image formation mechanisms are quite different, resulting in different types of information about the surface structure. The occurrence of the SEM and AFM side-by-side is becoming more common in today's analytical laboratories. A comparison of these techniques has been conducted with respect to the surface structure and composition of the specimen, as well as the operating environment, which demonstrates how these analytical techniques provide information which is complementary in nature.