Hitachi High-Tech Corporation, Japan, announced the launch of its AFM100 and AFM100 Plus systems–entry-level and intermediate-level models of Hitachi’s compact and versatile atomic force microscopes (AFM). These tools offer ease of use and superior reliability for high-throughput R&D or quality control applications.
Conventional AFM operation could be quite time consuming and demanding. The workflow contains some mandatory steps such as loading a tiny cantilever (approximately 1 mm wide) manually with a tweezer to the target location, determining the right interaction force between the tip and the sample as well as adjusting the scan speed, all of which may involve back and forth trials. As a result, the overall throughput from the start of tool setup to the end of data acquisition was relatively low. In addition, both quality and reliability of acquired AFM data can vary significantly from person to person since selecting an appropriate type of cantilevers and optimizing an array of imaging parameters are highly dependent on operator’s experience and skill levels.
The AFM100 and AFM100 Plus address these issues to increase the expansion of AFM technology in industrial, scientific, and research and development fields. Both the AFM100 and AFM100 Plus render extreme ease of use and ensure operator-to-operator consistency. Particularly, the AFM100 Plus can be utilized in a wide variety of applications, including high-resolution imaging of nanomaterials such as graphene and carbon nanofibers, 3D shape observation over wide areas exceeding 0.1 mm, roughness analysis, and physical property evaluations.
The key benefits of these products are:
1. Improved usability, reliability, and total throughput
To make the cantilever loading/unloading much easier, a newly developed premounted cantilever has been adopted to significantly improve usability. Also, an autopilot function automatically optimizes measurement parameters, controls the interaction force between the tip and the sample, and adjusts the scan speed, thus reducing human errors for reliable and consistent data acquisition. The system also supports multi-point measurement with a recipe, which enables automated data collection and storage throughout the entire measurement process just by a single click, thus the total throughput can be dramatically increased.
2. Enhanced correlation with Hitachi High-Tech’s SEM
The optional AFM marking function uses Hitachi High-Tech’s originally developed Scanning Atomic and Electron Microscopy (SÆMic) solution. SÆMic is a correlated imaging technique that improves compatibility between AFM and Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM), using both to examine the sample at the same locations, enabling a cross-platform, multifaceted analytical approach to achieve comprehensive characterizations of mechanical, electrical, and compositional properties of the sample.
3. Scalable and durable
The system comes with the lifetime free download of new control software and a self-checking function that can automatically diagnose the root cause of malfunctions as standard, contributing to long service life for users. This allows users to keep their equipment up-to-date and performing at its highest level.
For more information:
Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
https://www.hitachi-hightech.com
