Atomic Force Microscope [video]

In my first internship, with a hard disk drive company, I learned how to use an Atomic Force Microscope to measure the roughness of the hard drive platter (the disk). The texture variation is in the order of angstroms or nanometers. It’s incredible how the AFM works like the needle of a record player, not via optics, and sensing at the atomic level.

Re: Atomic Force Microscope [video]

#7

Post by ddlsmurf » Sun, Jul 05, 2026, 9:11 AM UTC

ThrowawayTestr wrote: post #5

alhirzel wrote: post #2

"I'll spare you the total sample prep details"...

I've seen a genius' sperm

no, nuto

Re: Atomic Force Microscope [video]

#8

Post by knob » Sun, Jul 05, 2026, 9:24 AM UTC

Groxx wrote: post #4

Applied Science is always worth an upvote

I had never seen his channel and immediately loved it! Awesome stuff!

Re: Atomic Force Microscope [video]

#9

Post by ZiiS » Sun, Jul 05, 2026, 10:41 AM UTC

Don't need to click the link to know who this will be.

Re: Atomic Force Microscope [video]

#10

Post by 0x0203 » Sun, Jul 05, 2026, 12:56 PM UTC

hbarka wrote: post #6

In my first internship, with a hard disk drive company, I learned how to use an Atomic Force Microscope to measure the roughness of the hard drive platter (the disk). The texture variation is in the order of angstroms or nanometers. It’s incredible how the AFM works like the needle of a record player, not via optics, and sensing at the atomic level.

What's the size difference between the AFM needle and the area of stored magnetic flux on a hard drive platter? If you used an AFM as a sort of record player, scanning along lines of little pits, what sort of theoretical information density could be achieved over the whole surface of the disk?