For the recent years Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) has proved to be the extremely
successful technique for characterization of different nano-sized objects. SPM
plays the important role in the outburst of scientific and commercial activities
defined by the term "nanotechnology". As a great number of applications
for the SPM-based research are becoming more and more diverse and complex, new
challenges and demands arise for the SPM instrumentation. Unfortunately, still
the adjustment of the most modern SPMs iscomplicated, time consuming and very
much operator-dependant. This drawback leads to poor reproducibility of the
instrument settings and consequently to poorly reproducible results.
AIST-NT
Inc. has developed a new, fully motorized AFM
which allows to perfectly align a cantilever, laser and photodiode by just one
click on a command button. The scanning settings and landing parameters are
also automated that allows to avoid any time consuming adjustment operations,
thus leaving more time to researcher for designing the experiment and performing
more accurate measurements.
Another unique feature of AIST-NT's
SmartSPM™ 1000 AFM is the capability to map the distribution of the
oscillation amplitude along the cantilever. After the map is acquired, operator
can choose the most appropriate position of the laser spot on the cantilever for
his measurements.
The complete automation of the AIST-NT's
SmartSPM™ 1000 AFM setup allows researchers to avoid time consuming and
tiresome routine adjustments and concentrate on the experiment itself, measurements
and result interpretation.
