Real-time construction of a conventional AFM image, collected over a period of 50 seconds. Image shows a 3 µm x 3 µm area of the surface of polyethylene oxide deposited on glass.

Identical area as imaged with conventional AFM (left) visualised with the VideoAFM™. Movie shows the operator's real-time view and exploration of the surface. A period of 40 ms lapses between each frame, giving a total of 1250 images in the period required to collect the single conventional AFM image.