Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a scanning probe microscopy technique that uses a sharp tip to image a sample. Inspired by developments in stylus profilometry the first AFM was developed in the 1980s by Gerd Binnig, Calvin Quate, and Christoph Gerber. This type of microscopy was (and remains) revolutionary as it now enables atomic resolution without the expensive high-vacuum systems and complicated optics required by high-resolution electron and optical microscopes. AFM can image almost any type of sample, enables collection of three dimensional datasets and can be modified to simultaneously collect electrical, magnetic, mechanical, chemical, and topographic data. AFM has been used for everything from identifying individual atoms in semiconductor films to imaging individual macromolecules in biological cells to building and manipulating nanostructures. In thin film research AFM is often combined with electrical and spectroscopic measurements to study and improve a wide range of materials and devices. For more information about the incredible versatility and scope of this technique we recommend the textbook Atomic Force Microscopy by Peter Eaton and Paul West and the extensive webinar series and application notes available from the manufacturer of our instrument - Bruker.