Editing Microscopy (section)

== Scanning probe microscopy ==
{{Main|Scanning probe microscopy}}
This is a sub-diffraction technique. Examples of scanning probe microscopes are the [[atomic force microscope]] (AFM), the [[scanning tunneling microscope]], the [[photonic force microscope]] and the [[recurrence tracking microscope]]. All such methods use the physical contact of a solid probe tip to scan the surface of an object, which is supposed to be almost flat.

=== Ultrasonic force ===
[[Ultrasonic force microscopy]] (UFM) has been developed in order to improve the details and image contrast on "flat" areas of interest where AFM images are limited in contrast. The combination of AFM-UFM allows a near field acoustic microscopic image to be generated. The AFM tip is used to detect the ultrasonic waves and overcomes the limitation of wavelength that occurs in acoustic microscopy. By using the elastic changes under the AFM tip, an image of much greater detail than the AFM topography can be generated.

Ultrasonic force microscopy allows the local mapping of [[elasticity (physics)|elasticity]] in atomic force microscopy by the application of ultrasonic vibration to the cantilever or sample. To analyze the results of ultrasonic force microscopy in a quantitative fashion, a force-distance curve measurement is done with ultrasonic vibration applied to the cantilever base, and the results are compared with a model of the cantilever dynamics and tip-sample interaction based on the finite-difference technique.