In 2011 we will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the invention of the force microscopy by Gerd Binnig, Christopher Gerber and Calvin Quate. Since then, the AFM has become one of the main pillars that sustain the advance in nanoscience and nanotechnology. In recent years the activity in force microscopy has shifted from the instrumentation to its applications. However, the AFM still faces numerous challenges to bring together molecular resolution imaging and quantification of material properties. The need for higher compositional resolution and sensitivity has led to explore imaging with higher harmonics and/or flexural or torsional cantilever modes. More recently, the AFM is experiencing the evolution from the single to the multifrequency excitation and detection schemes.
Madrid, Spain
