Stand alone AFM

Fig. 2.14 Fully assembled stand alone AFM comprising (a) the base (incl. LCD display), (b) scanner and photodetector, (c) sample, and (d) environmental chamber...

One notable difference of AFM in comparison with electron microscopy is the ease of sample preparation. There is no need for conductive coatings, thin sections, etc. This means that any polymer sample can in principle be analyzed by AFM, provided the part fits into the corresponding microscope. There are also stand alone AFM models that can operate on any large macroscopic surface, such as an airplane wing, to perform local analysis. 

For stand alone-type AFMs any hot stage may be used, while for tube scanner design, miniature hot stages can be built. 

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