When the atomic force microscope (AFM) was invented in 1986, a commercial need was born (Binnig, Quate and Gerber, 1986). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) utilizes an extremely sharp-tipped probe – mere nanometers thick at the end – attached to a precisely sensitive cantilever and sensor. The manufacture of these cantilevers has been made possible due to serious advances in the field of nanomechanics.
