The scanning force microscopy techniques are promoting a great impact on materials science due to the possibility to obtain images down to the atomic scale. This work reports on the basic principles of the scanning force microscopes, their operation modes and the forces involved and measured. The potential application of these techniques on the study of materials, particularly on polymers, is discussed. A comparison of atomic force microscopy - AFM - with other techniques is presented, as well as some examples of the use of AFM on the study of polymers.
Scanning force microscopy; morphology; structure; polymers
