Table 1.

Summary of AFM modes of operation.

AFM Modes of Operation	Working Principle	Advantage	Disadvantage
Contact Mode	Physical contact between the tip and the surface	High scan speeds High resolution	Damage to soft sample Later forces may produce image artefacts
Non-contact Mode	No contact between the tip and the sample	Low resolution No damage to sample	Slower scan speed if compared with both contact and tapping mode
Tapping Mode	Intermittent and short contact between the sample and the tip	High resolution Minimal damage to sample	Slower scan speed if compared with contact mode