Data representation and image processing

Abstract

Scanning probe microscopy data usually have the form of a matrix where the topography (height) or some other signal such as the phase in dynamic AFM is measured as a function of the lateral xy-position on the surface. Data representation is the task to map the heights (i.e. the output of the z-controller) to gray levels in an image in an optimal way. Image processing is used in order to enhance the image representation further, i.e. by removing image artifacts such as high-frequency noise, noise pixels or noise lines (Klapetek, Quantitative data processing in scanning probe microscopy, 2nd edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2018, [1]; Eaton, Batziou, Artifacts and practical issues in atomic force microscopy. In: Santos N, Carvalho F (eds) Atomic force microscopy. Methods in molecular biology, vol. 1886. Humana Press, New York, 2019, [2]).