Atomic force microscope

The AFM Multiscan family of scanning microscopes offers specific key advantages not available with other instruments. For an extensive list of details please contact us.

 Among others here we list two very useful features.

 

World’s largest scanning range of up to 800µm x 800µm.

 This enables the link of the AFM data to those obtained with less resolving instruments like microscopes or roughness measuring instruments.

(Remark: it isn’t possible to get reasonable data over such a large scanning area without employing a specific proprietary scanning procedure)

 

Chemical Contrast Imaging (CCI-AFM)

In order to get useful information regarding surfaces and surface processes more data than the surface topography and surface roughness is required to obtain a full picture of the sample surface. In particular on heterogeneous surfaces a contrast enhancement of the local chemical surface properties and material properties is indispensable.

The recently developed and patented method, called Chemical Contrast Imaging, is an essential functional extension giving interpretational support. Employing a fine high frequent tip-sample oscillation at an amplitude of a few atom diameters, the smallest variations of the tip-sample interaction can be detected. Images can be obtained of extremely small differences in the surface structure with a local resolution of a few nanometers. Even if only a fraction of the uppermost atomic layer within a locally very limited region is chemically modified such locally dependent variations of the surface condition of the sample can usually be easily detected.

Employing the Chemical Contrast Imaging two kinds of images may be simultaneously acquired:

(i) the image of the area surface topography and

(ii) the image of the chemical contrast. Topographic structures can then directly be attributed to variations of the surface material composition and surface properties.

 

There is a long list of possible applications. A few are mentioned here:

• In the area of tribology quantitatively wear processes and local in-homogeneities of the material properties can be investigated.
• For composites and nano-composites a clear indication where on the surface the existing material components can be found and this is independent of the surface profile. Chemical Contrast Imaging does not show any amplitude variation.
• Weak points and surface imperfections down to a few nanometers can be detected when investigating surface coatings and refinements.
• Precipitations of foreign substances on surfaces, which can frequently be observed in production processes, change the surface properties and often stronlgy influence the subsequent process reaction steps. Such precipitation of foreign substances on surfaces can be detected and displayed even if they extend only over a few nanometers.