ABSTRACT
The surface characterization methodology for the fullerene nanomaterials (FNMs) is overviewed with a strong emphasis on the uses of a variety of scanning probe microscopy (SPM). Among numerous SPM techniques, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and its major variants are introduced and the related applications to FNM studies are discussed. Starting from the introduction of scanning force microscopy, several modes of the AFM operation, such as contact mode, intermittent contact mode, noncontact mode, frictional force imaging, phase imaging, conductive measurement mode, and so on, are shown. The most common and important use of AFM is the three-dimensional topography imaging of the nanoobjects at the nanoscale. However, the raw AFM topography images always involve various artifacts. The most common artifact is caused by the finite dimensions of probe tip. Precise and quantitative morphology analysis of the FNMs can be realized by the use of proper
image reconstruction with actual probe shape functions. Finally, the thermal stability of FNMs investigated by a variable temperature SPM at elevated temperatures is discussed.
