Dec. 05, 2011

Tip Mass Effects on Image Contrast

When an oscillating AFM cantilever approaches a sample, the tip-sample interaction force influences the cantilever dynamics. The magnitude of the contact interaction force depends on the stiffness of the materials. Stiffness of the material affects sensitivity of different modes differently. This sensitivity controls the image contrast. Here, the effect of tip mass on the modal flexural sensitivity of AFM cantilever to the variations of surface stiffness and image contrast is investigated.
moreJun. 07, 2011

Nanomechanical Sensor for Atomic Force Microscopy

The atomic force microscope (AFM) is an important tool for nanoscale surface metrology. Typical AFMs map local tip-surface interactions by scanning a flexible cantilever probe over a surface. They rely on bulky optical sensing instrumentation to measure the motion of the probe, which limits the sensitivity, stability, and accuracy of the microscope, and precludes the use of probes much smaller than the wavelength of light. moreApr. 05, 2011

Contact Resonance Force Microscopy: Measuring of AFM Tip Wear

Jason Killgore, a materials engineer at National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and his team have developed a method for measuring in real time the extent to which AFM tips wear down. Killgore measures the resonant frequency of the AFM sensor tip, a natural vibration rate like that of a tuning fork, while the instrument is in use. moreJun. 14, 2010

OnLine AFM/SPM Probe Store

Asylum Research announces that its new automated AFM/SPM Probe Store is now online. The probe store provides simple search, sort, selection, quotation and purchase for a wide variety of different probes. moreMay. 18, 2010

Seamless Integration of Atomic Force and Light Microscopy

Agilent Technologies announced the availability of the Agilent 6000ILM AFM, an atomic force microscopy (AFM) platform. The Platform is a research solution that seamlessly integrates the capabilities of an AFM with those of an inverted light microscope or an inverted confocal microscope. The 6000ILM supports a wide variety of scanning probe microscopy imaging modes and lets life science researchers go beyond the optical diffraction limit to achieve nanoscale spatial resolution with unprecedented ease of use. more