"Breaking the Barrier: AI Decodes Microscope Images Beyond Limits"

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a deep learning algorithm that can remove the limitations of atomic force microscopy (AFM) by decoding microscope images and allowing for the resolution of material features smaller than the probe's tip. This AI technique provides true three-dimensional surface profiles at resolutions below the width of the microscope probe tip, overcoming a fundamental limit in microscopy. The algorithm was trained to remove the effects of the probe's width from AFM microscope images and successfully identified the three-dimensional features of nanoparticles, demonstrating its potential to significantly improve AFM images.