Experimental analysis of the influence of surface topography on the adhesion force as measured by an

Since its invention in 1986, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), also known as Scanning Force Microscopy (SFM), is being increasingly used in the analysis of adhesion. A F M features include high lateral resolution and versatility. This technique is capable of performing adhesion measurements under different environmental conditions and without special sample preparation. Force curves obtained by A F M are force-distance plots measured by monitoring the deflection of a cantilever as the tip attached at its end approaches or retracts from the sample. Physicochemical surface properties of the sample such as friction, adhesion and elasticity can be derived from the analysis of force curves taken at extremely high lateral resolution [2-4]. This technique has been applied to many industrial [5-8] and biological fields [9-13].