ABSTRACT
The principle behind scanning probe microscopies (SPMs) is the measurement of a property that is dependent on the distance between the probe (the meter) and the specimen. This property can either be or embody the interaction between the probe and the sample. In the first case we refer to forces and in the second case to tunneling currents. In this chapter we focus on the measurement of forces. Forces of different nature can be measured as the probe is traveling toward or away from the sample. On the other hand, the mechanics of nano-and microobjects can be locally or globally probed as the probe pushes or pulls them. The latter application has developed into a field of knowledge of its own called force spectroscopy, with the main goal of characterizing the interaction landscape between two surfaces.
