Microscopia a forza atomica applicata ai materiali polimerici

AFM has became an advanced, high resolution technique for surface analysis, with broad applications both in academic and industrial research. This article deals with principles and applications of the atomic force microscopy (AFM), based on weak interactions between a sensor and the sample. The interaction force is evaluated by the deflection of a thin cantilever and data are processed to obtain the topography of the surface of the specimen. The various operative modalities of AFM are described and related to the chemical nature of the sample for the selection of the appropriate AFM mode and probe. A sample of AFM investigations on polymers morphology and structure, on nanometer as well as larger scale, are shown.