The principle of Lateral Force Microscopy (LFM) is very similar to contact mode AFM. Whereas in contact mode we measure the deflection of the cantilever in the vertical direction to gather sample surface information, we measure the deflection of the cantilever in the horizontal direction in LFM.

The lateral deflection of the cantilever is a result of the force applied to the cantilever when it moves horizontally across the sample surface, and the magnitude of this deflection is determined by the frictional coefficient, the topography of the sample surface, the direction of the cantilever movement, and the cantilever’s lateral spring constant.

Lateral Force Microscopy is very useful for studying a sample whose surface consists of inhomogeneous compounds. It is also used to enhance contrast at the edge of an abruptly changing slope of a sample surface, or at a boundary between different compounds.