The cantilever of Atom Force microscope (AFM) is always necessary for force measurements between different substances. The photo is made with stereo microscope just before the start of experiment with AFM to see if both tips are still there, as they have tendency to break off very easily.
<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:Kkrigul&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1" class="new" title="User:Kkrigul (page does not exist)">Kertu Liis Krigul</a>
CC BY-SA 4.0
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>