ABSTRACT
Since its invention in 1985 [1], atomic force microscopy (AFM) in a variety of operational modes (contact mode, non-contact mode, tapping mode, scanning polarization force microscopy) has become one of the most widely used experimental tools in surface physics and surface chemistry laboratories. Its unique lateral resolution has been used for characterization of surfaces in real space down to the atomic scale. In the context of adhesion and wetting, it is mainly used to measure forces, to measure the surface topography, and to characterize the quality and chemical composition of substrates with specifically-tailored wetting properties. Two specific operational modes of A F M , i.e. scanning polarization force microscopy (SPFM) [2] and tapping mode [3, 4], have been applied successfully to image not only the substrates, but also the topography of partially wetting liquid nanostructures. Both techniques have revealed details about the molecular forces governing the equilibrium shapes as well as the adsorption and spreading of liquids on a scale that was not amenable to conventional optical techniques.
