PeakForce Tapping Mode, Tapping Mode, Contact Mode, Quantitative NanoMechanics, Piezoresponse Force Microscopy, Magnetic Force Microscopy, Electrostatic Force Microscopy
An AFM measures a sample's topographic and other surface information by interacting a nanoscale probe with the sample. The Dimension Icon offers three main interaction modes: (1) PeakForce Tapping Mode, which operates in conjunction with Bruker's ScanAsyst® to allow the software to automatically optimize several imaging parameters for high-quality, relatively easily-obtained images; with tapping oscillations of 0.25 to 2.0 kHz, it is also capable of capturing a force curve at each pixel in order to facilitate extraction of mechanical property data using the Quantitative NanoMechanics (QNM) software package; (2) Tapping Mode, a more traditional tapping interaction that operates near the probe cantilever's resonant frequency (usually 10s to 100s of kHz) to provide topographic and phase imaging; (3) Contact Mode, for direct, constant contact between the probe and surface, which is necessary for several other surface measurement techniques.
Applications
Topographic imaging of surface features ranging from sub-nm to several microns in height
Roughness measurements resulting from sub-nm Z resolution
Phase imaging to qualitatively identify different phases of material by their surface properties
Quantitative NanoMechanics (QNM) to extract material property data from force curves (e.g. elastic modulus, adhesion, energy dissipation)
Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM)
Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) using Lift Mode
Electrostatic Force Microscopy (EFM) using Lift Mode
Surface Potential measurements
Measurements in liquid environments are possible
See Bruker's Scanning Probe Microscopy Techniques Poster
The KNI does not currently have modules for Scanning Tunneling, TUNA & Conductive, Scanning Spreading Resistance, Scanning Capacitance, or Scanning Thermal modes; inquire with the MMRC at Caltech for access to some of these advanced techniques.
Probes are considered consumable items that users users are responsible for investigating and purchasing themselves. ScanAsyst-Air probes are commonly used with PeakForce Tapping Mode for topographic imaging, while the selection of Tapping Mode probes relies on a number of factors related to your sample. See Bruker's "Easy Product Wizard," for example, for some probe selection guidance.
