TOOLS & TECHNIQUES UPDATE
Nanopositioner family puck that allows lateral translation by up to several
millimeters for finding the optimum imaging region.
Newport’s new NanoPZ™ family of
This enables easy, simple changing of both the sample
nanopositioners includes the PZA12
compact linear actuator, PZC200
and its experimental environment without needing to
controller, and PZC-SB switchbox. dismantle the cell, so throughput is increased.
The PZA12’s piezo stepping motor Accessories allow scanning in either gases or liquids.
provides 12 mm travel with 30 nm
Contact: www.pacificnano.com
motion sensitivity at up to 0.2 mm/s
for loads of up to 50 N with no loss of
position when power is removed. Also, Variable-field AFM module
the NanoPZ design does not rely on
Asylum Research is offering a Variable Field Module™
varying static and dynamic friction
for its MFP-3D™ atomic force microscope (AFM). For
forces, which can provide inconsistent
performance and limited lifetime. The
Nanoscale characterization magnetic force microscopy, conductance, and other
PZC-SB provides control of up to eight applications where a sample exhibits a dependence on
Veeco Instruments has introduced two new high-
PZA12 actuators with a single magnetic field, it applies an in-plane magnetic field
performance, low-noise application modules for
controller via either the ergonomic exceeding +2000 Oe with <1 Oe resolution.
nanoscale electrical characterization using the Digital
handheld interface or a RS232 port. Adjustable pole tips allow the maximum value of
Instruments CP-II scanning probe microscope.
Contact: www.newport.com applied field to be varied.
Conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) measures
The design incorporates rare-earth magnets, so there
Long-travel positioner local current-voltage or current-force spectra and
is no heating or drift with field change. Field intensity
generates two-dimensional (2D) maps of conductivity
The NTS100 linear nanopositioning is easily controlled through the software interface.
stage from DTI-NanoTech has a
and sample quality/integrity. This allows the direct
Also, the new Digital Access Module optional hardware
piezoelectric rotary motor and precision correlation of structural features with electrical
accessory, which plugs into the front of the MFP-3D
optical encoder, and provides 100 mm characteristics for analyzing variations in film thickness
controller, gives users access to applications such as
travel, 0.4 nm resolution, and long-term and locating electrical defects.
photon counting, synchronization of experiments to
stability (<2 nm drift/hr) at 20°C. Scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) measures
the AFM scan, and general-purpose digital
Control is via a digital signal processor variations in carrier concentration on semiconductor
controller with Windows®-XP graphical
input/output control.
structures. Applications include 2D dopant profiling and
user interface, enabling a wide dynamic the polarization measurement of small ferroelectric Contact: www.asylumresearch.com
range and high measurement accuracy
capacitors and single grains. It also enables electrostatic
in both open- and closed-loop mode.
force microscopy and surface potential imaging.
Features include a multichannel
controller, velocity range (stepped to Contact: www.veeco.com
continuous, 0.5 nm/s to 2000 mm/s),
rapid response (10 ms), and high load
Auto structure determination
capacity (3 kg). Adapters and universal
mounting plates allow various Autostructure™ software from Bruker AXS allows the
multichannel configurations (e.g. XY, automated determination of three-dimensional crystal
XYZ). An optional joystick enables the structures of organic, mineralogical, and inorganic
precise, simultaneous control of up to molecules from X-ray data. While mainly targeted for
three stages.
chemical crystallography, it can also handle peptide
Contact: www.dti-nanotech.com
and small protein structures of moderate resolution.
DSP gaussmeters The software requires only approximate information Customizable, portable SPMs
on elemental composition. It then processes diffraction
Lake Shore Cryotronics has launched The new Nanosurf easyScan2® portable scanning probe
intensity data and cascades through Patterson, direct,
the Model 455 gaussmeter. Features microscope (SPM) has a customizable design owing to
including digital signal processing (DSP)
and dual-space methods to propose a structure model
modular inserts into a single electronic box and various
technology, dc to 20 kHz ac frequency within seconds. Subsequent refinement cycles of
scan heads and software modules.
response, peak field detection to 50 µs atomic position and displacement parameters yield a
The scanning tunneling microscope (STM) module
pulse widths, dc accuracy of 0.075%, highly accurate representation.
allows quick atomic-resolution imaging on a normal
5¾ digits of display resolution, and
Contact: www.bruker-biosciences.com table without vibration isolation. The atomic force
temperature compensation.
microscope (AFM) module has cantilever-alignment
Frequently used functions are
accessible via one or two keystrokes Environmental cell for AFM chip technology, enabling adjustment-free tip changes.
from the front panel. The easy-to-read Intelligent electromagnetic scan-head technology has
The Environmental Cell is a new option for Pacific low noise and power consumption. The head’s dual-
message-based display shows probe
temperature as well as frequency when
Nanotechnology’s Nano-R™ Light Lever atomic force lens system allows top and side video views for easy
operating in root-mean-square mode. microscope (AFM) that enables in situ characterization sample positioning. Dynamic AFM and multimode
For added functionality, a standard of surface properties. packages enable imaging of soft or sensitive samples.
Lake Shore Hall probe is included. The chamber is formed by a flexible latex seal between
Contact: www.lakeshore.com the AFM scanner and the top of the sample holder or Contact: www.nanosurf.com
DECEMBER 2005 | VOLUME 8 | NUMBER 12 69
