Contact-mode high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) is capable of collecting topographic maps of a sample surface with nanometre-scale lateral, atomic-scale height, and sub-second temporal resolutions. The rapid throughput of HS-AFM enables high-resolution imaging across large areas of a sample surface for feature distribution analysis and correlative analysis using techniques such as scanning electron microscopy. Such measurements can be performed in ambient conditions or in liquid environments for in-situ, in-operando, and in-vitro experiments. Additional functionalities include parallel potentiostatic control and thermal or electrical conductivity mapping.

The presented work explores the wide range of applications for HS-AFM in materials and corrosion science including stress corrosion cracking (SCC), electrodeposition, and large area precipitation analysis. For the study of localised corrosion processes such as SCC or pitting corrosion, the high temporal resolution of this instrument enables new understanding of the nanoscale mechanisms and the order by which they occur through direct observation.