7. Conclusion and outlook

Metrological AFMs, still developed exclusively in metrology laboratories, are becoming increasingly widespread. They establish a traceability path in the metrological sense between the International System of Units' definition of the metre and the dimensional quantities accessible in the field of near-field microscopy and electron microscopy. They are then placed at the service of research and industry to provide calibration solutions for the reference structures encountered in these two fields. They can also be used for high-accuracy measurements on advanced products with nanometric structures. These instruments benefit from the latest developments in atomic force microscopy. Their evolution is mainly guided by the traceability and measurement needs encountered in the country where they were developed. Today, these mAFMs are evolving to meet the need for measurements over extended scan...