Since the release of the first commercial
atomic force microscope (AFM) about 30 years ago, technology advances have
steadily been implemented to improve their performance. Now, the most recent
advance in ambient-temperature AFMs is making them more compact, portable and
user-friendly, which is enabled by Negative-Stiffness vibration isolation.
The atomic force microscope (AFM) has become one of the foremost tools
for imaging and measuring materials and cells on the nanoscale. Revealing
sample details at the atomic level, with resolution on the order of fractions
of a nanometer, the AFM is instrumental for imaging an array of applications,
such as defining surface characterizations, lithography, data storage, and
manipulation of atoms and nano-sized structures on a variety of
surfaces.
The AFM utilizes a sharp tip (probe) with a radius of
curvature on the order of a few nanometers attached to the end of a tiny
cantilever used to scan across a sample surface to image its topography and
material properties. When the tip is brought into proximity of a sample
surface, forces between the tip and the surface lead to a deflection of the
cantilever. This deflection is recorded using, typically, a laser beam that is
reflected from the top surface of the cantilever to a photo-sensitive detector.
The resultant change of position of the cantilever/probe/tip permits
characteristics such as mechanical, electrostatic, magnetic, chemical and other
forces to be precisely measured by the AFM. These characteristics are displayed
in a three-dimensional surface profile of the sample (in the X, Y and Z axes),
an advantage that the AFM can provide compared to other microscopy
techniques.
Although AFM technology has advanced considerably, its
benefits have not always been easily accessible for researchers requiring AFM
adaptability, portability. Nor have AFMs been adequately accessible in
nanotechnology student laboratories, because of lack of student skill in their
operation, and budget limitations on the number of AFMs at their
disposal.
A More Portable, More User-Friendly
AFM
These inhibitions have now been mitigated by a relatively new
compact, portable and user-friendly ambient-temperature AFM. Developed by
NanoMagnetics Instruments, a leading manufacturer of scanning probe microscopes
for low-temperature applications, the ezAFM+ atomic force microscope is a
benchtop instrument designed for short learning times, quick setup, and ease of
transport.
Full article... |
