Library · Signals, sensing & imaging
What Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) got wrong, from 15 theses
Summary written by a model from the records below: The records describe diverse experimental attempts, methodological rejections, and comparative evaluations across atomic force microscopy imaging, force sensing, and probe fabrication. Common challenges include probe fabrication defects, imaging instability on rough or adhesive surfaces, dynamic feedback coupling issues, and sensitivity limits in resolving chemical or structural features. These records come from graduate theses, 2021 to 2024, each labeled with its degree where the repository states it, and each links to its thesis. They were extracted by language models reading the full text, so treat each as a lead to read, not a verdict.
Plus 10 problems the authors left open, listed at the end.
Failure modes, by theses reporting them
Select a mode to jump to its records.
Resolution, sensitivity, and measurement variability limitations constrain nanoscale characterization
Atomic force microscopy configurations often lack the spatial or height sensitivity to detect subtle nucleic acid bends, resolve step edges for protein attachment, or directly measure chemical bonding states. Additionally, Kelvin probe force microscopy resolution can be limited by cantilever effects, and single-cell measurements can suffer from excessive stiffness variability.
Tried and failed
atomic force microscopy on mica surfaces applied to detecting intrinsic sequence-dependent nucleic acid curvature. Outcome: no signal. Reason: surface deposition and imaging resolution lacked sensitivity to resolve subtle mismatch-induced bending angles
Characterizing the bending and twisting mechanics of DNA and its mismatches · Georgia Tech · PhD
Considered and rejected
Considered and rejected: Rejected AM-KPFM in favor of FM-KPFM because AM-KPFM spatial resolution is limited by both tip radius and cantilever, whereas FM-KPFM force gradient sensitivity provides higher spatial resolution.
Characterization of InAs Quantum Dots in InP Nanowires Using a Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy · Texas State University · Master's
Tried and failed
atomic force microscopy for layer thickness verification applied to surface protein functionalization monitoring. Outcome: no signal. Reason: lack of distinct step edges prevented clear confirmation of layer attachment
Optimization of Surface-Protein Interactions for Next Generation Biosensors · Georgia Tech · PhD
Considered and rejected
Considered and rejected: Rejected atomic force microscopy (AFM) in favor of XPS and Raman microscopy to directly probe chemical bonding and functional group states non-destructively
Investigating the sorption phenomena of free fatty acids using the quartz crystal microbalance · Imperial · Doctorate
Fabrication defects and material constraints degrade microcantilever probe performance
Cantilever manufacturing efforts experience structural curling in nanoscale layers, mechanical failure during wet etching, and parasitic backside coatings that impair optical lever reflection. Furthermore, electrostrictive cantilever materials underperform relative to piezoelectric alternatives by achieving significantly smaller tip deflections.
Tried and failed
atomic layer deposition of nanoscale cantilevers applied to mechanical deflection sensing. Outcome: unstable. Reason: out-of-plane twisting and curling obscured deflections below one hundred nanometers
Design and development of magneto-mechanical systems for actuation in haptic devices · Cornell · PhD
Tried and failed
physical vapor deposition coating on microcantilevers applied to atomic force microscopy probes. Outcome: no signal. Reason: parasitic backside deposition disrupted optical lever laser reflection despite ion beam stripping attempts
Lost to a baseline
Electrostrictive α-phase PVDF cantilevers achieved only 1/3.4 (approx. 30%) of the scaled tip deflection of baseline piezoelectric β-phase PVDF-TrFE cantilevers (150 nm @ 30 V vs 1.2 µm @ 30 V).
Flexoelectricity in PVDF and TiOx thin films : material characterization for MEMS applications · TU Wien · PhD
Excessive surface roughness and irregular topography exceed cantilever scanning capabilities
Highly rough, porous, or irregular geometries exceed cantilever deflection limits and induce mechanical vibrations that compromise surface measurement. These extreme topographies lead to scanning failures, including ghosting artifacts, image blurring, and lost surface tracking.
Tried and failed
tapping-mode atomic force microscopy applied to rough porous mineral surfaces. Reason: insufficient cantilever oscillation amplitude caused image blurring and ghosting artifacts
Establishing scanning ion conductance microscopy for enhanced nano-scale characterisation of carbonate and sandstone rocks · Imperial · PhD
Tried and failed
Atomic force microscopy applied to irregular polymer weld line surface morphology. Outcome: no signal. Reason: Irregular sample geometry and induced mechanical vibrations prevented stable surface measurement.
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING AND MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION BY TERAHERTZ PULSED IMAGING AND TIME-DOMAIN SPECTROSCOPY · Georgia Tech · PhD
Tried and failed
High-speed atomic force microscopy topographic scanning applied to rough fracture surfaces. Reason: Z-axis cantilever deflection range limits prevented scanning on highly rough topography
Environmentally assisted cracking on titanium alloys · Imperial · PhD
Dynamic sensing and feedback mechanisms encounter operational instabilities and parasitic noise
Frequency shift feedback during coarse approach suffers from thermal drift and resonance instability that disrupt non-contact positioning. Additionally, dynamic microcantilever sensing and shear microrheology are compromised by spurious driving artifacts and confounding sensitivities to surface tension and electrostatic charge.
Tried and failed
resonant frequency modulation for cyclic adiabatic inversion applied to ultrasensitive microcantilever force sensing. Reason: frequency modulation directly coupled spurious driving artifacts into the mechanical resonator that could not be subtracted
Advancing a nuclear magnetic resonance force microscopy (NMRFM) probe and simulating NMRFM in thin films · UT Austin · PhD
Tried and failed
atomic force microscopy shear microrheology applied to interfacial liquid-liquid nanosheets. Outcome: no signal. Reason: Confounding sensitivities to interfacial surface tension and electrostatic charge.
The biophysical regulation of the cytoskeleton in PDAC · Imperial · PhD
Tried and failed
direct frequency shift feedback during coarse approach applied to non-contact atomic force microscopy. Outcome: unstable. Reason: thermal drift and resonance frequency shifts during coarse mechanical steps caused feedback instability
Using non-contact AFM to study the local doping and damping through the transition in an ultrathin VO2 film · Harvard · PhD
Tip adhesion and sample dragging disrupt imaging of viscous and delicate layers
Strong tip-surface adhesion prevents cantilever probe detachment during retraction cycles on viscous organic films. Similarly, scanning directly on delicate polymer layers causes the tip to pick up and drag material across the substrate.
Tried and failed
Atomic force microscopy imaging applied to viscous organic film on mineral substrate. Outcome: unstable. Reason: Excessive tip-surface adhesion prevented probe detachment during retraction cycles
Characterising mineral surfaces and probing the impact of ageing in crude oil using AFM · Imperial · Doctorate
Considered and rejected
Considered and rejected: Directly sputtering onto bare silicon for AFM was rejected in favor of blotted drop-casting because the cantilever tip would pick up/drag the PEG layer during scanning.
Metallic nanocarrier complex targeting neuroendocrine prostate cancel cells. · Cranfield · PhD
Left open by the authors
Problems the authors named and did not get to.
Left open
Resolve whether morphological domains in polymer-NFA blend films correspond to the polymer or NFA using atomic force microscopy. Blocker: Requires fabricated thin-film samples and an atomic force microscope (AFM)
Photophysics of narrow bandgap organic semiconductors for infrared photodetectors · Imperial · PhD
Left open
Perform atomic force microscopy analysis on SD-chitin films to characterise their porosity, surface morphology, and thickness uniformity. Blocker: Requires physical SD-chitin samples and an atomic force microscope (AFM) apparatus.
Automated strategy for probing enzymatic degradation of lipid membranes · Imperial · PhD
Left open
Optimize sample concentration, filtration, and mechanical agitation protocols for atomic force microscopy characterization of Janus star polymer micelles. Blocker: Requires wet lab sample preparation and access to atomic force microscopy instrumentation
Precise Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications of Nonlinear Polymers with Varied Architectures · Georgia Tech · PhD
Left open
Synthesize cyclic brush polymers with diverse side chains and image their ultra-high molecular weight architectures using atomic force microscopy. Blocker: Requires a wet chemistry synthesis lab and atomic force microscopy (AFM) instrumentation.
Development of Functional Enyne Molecules to Control Degradability and Architecture in Metathesis Polymers · Georgia Tech · PhD
Left open
Perform experimental studies to test if higher effective stiffness in higher AFM eigenmodes causes surface damage during contact resonance. Blocker: Requires a specialized atomic force microscopy (AFM) physical laboratory and thin-film samples.
Gradientes de deformación para controlar dominios ferroeléctricos en películas delgadas de Bi-Fe-O · BUAP · PhD
Left open
Study trapped interfacial contamination nanobubbles using gated FM-KPFM with band-edge pinning to map strain and piezoelectricity. Blocker: Requires atomic force microscopy / Kelvin probe force microscopy experimental laboratory setup and physical samples.
Electrostatic effects of inhomogeneous strain in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides · UT Austin · PhD
Left open
Test DNA minicircles with weaker poloidal bias and use monomeric avidin markers in AFM imaging to improve resolution. Blocker: Requires wet lab facilities, DNA minicircle synthesis, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) instrumentation.
Investigating Poloidal Bias in DNA Minicircles and Overhang influence on DNA Dehybridization · Georgia Tech · PhD
Left open
Compare SPR detection of intact and freeze-thaw lysed extracellular vesicles using AFM to assess vesicular degradation effects on sensitivity. Blocker: Requires a wet lab, SPR biosensor apparatus, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and extracellular vesicle samples
DIRECT DETECTION OF EXTRACELLAR VESICLE TRANSMEMBRANE PROTEIN – ANTIBODY INTERACTIONS USING SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE BIOSENSORS · Cornell · PhD
Left open
Combine atomic force microscopy adhesion measurements with X-ray micro-CT to analyze how surface roughness affects fluid surface coverage. Blocker: Requires physical access to atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray micro-CT experimental setups and rock samples.
Wettability characterisation of sandstone and carbonate rocks using X-ray micro-CT imaging · Imperial · PhD
Left open
Measure surface forces between microspheres and PDMS molds using atomic force microscopy or a surface force apparatus. Blocker: Requires physical laboratory equipment (AFM or SFA) and physical material samples.
Microneedle Patch Delivery of Controlled-Release Microspheres to the Skin · Georgia Tech · PhD
Who has worked on this
Authors of the public theses cited on this page, most-cited first.
- Tony Lemos · Georgia Tech · PhD · 2026
Investigating Poloidal Bias in DNA Minicircles and Overhang influence on DNA Dehybridization - Ziyan Wu · Imperial · PhD · 2025
Automated strategy for probing enzymatic degradation of lipid membranes - Woosung Choi · Georgia Tech · PhD · 2024
Precise Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications of Nonlinear Polymers with Varied Architectures - Ludovico Cestarollo · Cornell · PhD · 2024
Design and development of magneto-mechanical systems for actuation in haptic devices - Jesus Lopez Baltazar · Cornell · PhD · 2024
DIRECT DETECTION OF EXTRACELLAR VESICLE TRANSMEMBRANE PROTEIN – ANTIBODY INTERACTIONS USING SURFACE PLASMON RESONANCE BIOSENSORS - Kebonyetsala Aobakwe Laurel Seanneng · Imperial · Doctorate · 2024
Investigating the sorption phenomena of free fatty acids using the quartz crystal microbalance - Ujjwal Dhakal · Texas State University · Master's · 2024
Characterization of InAs Quantum Dots in InP Nanowires Using a Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy - Polina Jacoutot · Imperial · PhD · 2023
Photophysics of narrow bandgap organic semiconductors for infrared photodetectors - Sarah Frances Lowe · Imperial · PhD · 2023
Establishing scanning ion conductance microscopy for enhanced nano-scale characterisation of carbonate and sandstone rocks - Alyson Spitzig · Harvard · PhD · 2023
Using non-contact AFM to study the local doping and damping through the transition in an ultrathin VO2 film - Xuelin Sui · Georgia Tech · PhD · 2023
Development of Functional Enyne Molecules to Control Degradability and Architecture in Metathesis Polymers - Mehrbod Keshavarzi Shirazi Mosalman · Imperial · Doctorate · 2023
Characterising mineral surfaces and probing the impact of ageing in crude oil using AFM
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