What is the difference between AFM and SPM/STM?
Atomic force microscopy is the second probe microscopy technique under the general heading scanning probe microscopy (SPM). AFM allows imaging of insulating materials and therefore is used more widely than the first technique, scanning tunnelling microscopy, which relies on monitoring a tunnelling current between a conducting tip and substrate. We can do both AFM and STM at Portsmouth, although the latter is rather specialised and not routinely used.