A new scanner design for a high-speed atomic force microscope (AFM) is presented and discussed in terms of modeling and control. The lowest resonance frequency of this scanner is above 22 kHz. The X and Y scan ranges are 13 micrometers and the Z range is 4.3 micrometers. The focus of this contribution is on the vertical positioning direction of the scanner, being the crucial axis of motion with the highest bandwidth and precision requirements for gentle imaging with the atomic force microscope. A mathematical model of the scanner dynamics is presented that will enable more accurate topography measurements with the high-speed AFM system.