How smooth does the surface have to be?
For best measurements, the sample should have a surface roughness less than 1 micron. Our AFM measurement module has a vertical range of 10 um, but better results can be obtained on smoother samples. Samples prepared by microtomy or drop casting generally are sufficiently smooth. Care should be taken when transferring microtomed samples that they lay generally flat on the ZnSe prism or the user should select flat areas to measure.
