High-speed atomic force microscope, preferably for dermatological measurements

The invention relates to a high-speed atomic force microscope (AFM, 1) for measurement of an associated sample (S), such as a skin sample, the AFM has a sensor unit (SU, 10) with a light source (11) and a collimator lens (12), the collimating lens is mechanically displaceable with a collimator lens actuator (12'). An AFM cantilever with an AFM tip (14) is arranged relative to photo detection beams (15) for providing a focus error signal (FES) indicative of mechanical engagement with the sample. The collimator lens (12) is arranged for being adjusted by the collimator lens actuator (12') along the optical beam path so as to compensate at least for thermal drift in the focus error signal (FES). The invention is advantageous for obtaining an improved high-speed AFM by this internal thermal drift compensation mechanism. The high-speed AFM of one embodiment of the invention may have a theoretical linear scanning speed that can reach 700,000 μm/s, which allows one imaging to be completed in around 3.4 seconds.