The morphology of lipid membranes on solid supports was studied by micro fluorescence filmbalance technique and Atomic Force Microscopy. The potential of AFM to visualize defects in lipid bilayers was demonstrated. The structure of polymerized membranes of the two lipids 10,12‐pentacosa‐diynoic acid (PC) and Dimethyl bis(pentacosadiynoyloxyethyl) ammonium bromide (BRONCO) was investigated with AFM. In both cases molecular resolution was achieved using amorphous silicon oxide as substrate. PC showed a highly regular packing of the hydrocarbon chains whereas in the case of the BRONCO film, which was polymerized in the high temperature phase, the positional correlation was only local.