ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE SYSTEM USING SELECTIVE ACTIVE DAMPING

An atomic force microscope (AFM) system comprises a cantilever arm attached to a probe tip. The system controls a height of the cantilever arm to press the probe tip against a sample and then separate the probe tip from the sample, to detect a disturbance of the cantilever arm after the separation of the probe tip from the surface, and to engage active damping of the cantilever arm to suppress the disturbance.