Atomic Force Microscopy – Yesterday, Today And What Makes It So Exceptional

By Author: Park Systems
Total Articles: 16
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The world is a place always hungry to learn and to find out more about the surroundings we live in, why certain things happen and what we can do to bring about improvement and aid. It is this hunger that drives us forward to excel to exceed and to perform beyond expectation. It is also this drive that leads to new developments, inventions and improvements and it is the same drive that led in 1982 to the invention of the atomic force microscope. Today, one of the most prominent manufacturers of this advanced piece of equipment on a global scale, Park Systems, can provide some background insights into the development of the device and why it plays such an important role in science and research. As an invention, it opened so many doors in numerous science and research fields across the globe. The advanced piece of equipment made it possible to not only explore surfaces on a nanoscale but also to manipulate these surfaces and record the results of this manipulation.

The atomic force microscope is the invention of IBM’s Dr Gerd Binning and is the result of several years of development in the company’s laboratory ...
... in Zurich, all taking place as far back as 1982 but today still this is one of the most used and trusted pieces of equipment in laboratories across the globe. Four years after the initial invention, the microscope reached the end of its developmental phase and then in 1989, the first commercial version entered the market.
The wonder of an AFM lies in the unique manner that it operates to measure and explore the surface of an object beyond nanoscale. It is a solution that relies on the vital tip that is situated at the end of the flexible cantilever and from this position it can raster scan the surface of a range of samples. The image the device creates is the result of the deflection of the cantilever due to the interaction that exists between the tip and the surface. The device is a reliable way to analyse samples of liquid, vacuum or air. However as liquid and vacuum do have an absence of any strong capillary forces that are the result of a thin layer of liquid film on all surfaces, the device might operate in higher resolutions. Another more challenging sample to analyse is when it comes to biological material. The latter is often a soft surface without any strong binding material and as a result thereof, it can be damaged quite easily.
As there can be such a vast difference in the attributes of the surface samples, the atomic force microscope has to offer several modes of operation. The primary mode of the device is the most basic mode but as it is not a suitable solution for all kinds of samples, developers added the more advanced non-contact mode even before the commercial release of the microscope.
The specific mode became vital when researchers had to analyse the soft surfaces of biological tissue and are a vital piece of equipment in the fields of research of biology and medical industry. What makes the non-contact mode so much more advanced is the fact that when the microscope is operating in contact mode, it produces imagery that is the result of direct contact between the surface and the tip connected to the cantilever. The challenge with biological tissue is that as the tissue is soft, it moves and therefore direct contact is not a suitable way to measure and explore the surface. So, the use of non-contact mode relies on the resonant frequency that is present in a small distance between the tip and the surface. From this frequency, researchers can then draw a clear image of the surface of the sample they are exploring, making the AFM one of the most relied upon pieces of equipment in various kinds of labs.

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Our team at Park Systems is always working to create change through advances in the field of research and technology by supplying premium quality equipment scientists need for microscopic exploration on a nano level. One of our most advanced features is our commitment to absolute accuracy and precision in all we do and the products we deliver. We aim to deliver the resources you need to have the breakthroughs you work for and to provide the support you need from any of our offices based globally. Visit our website at https://www.parkafm.com and explore the numerous possibilities we offer to help you achieve excellence.