This instrument is supervised by: Peter Eaton; Please contact Peter for any enquiries regarding access to the lab, or training or use of the instruments. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Instrument #1: Long Beach
This instrument is a modified TT-AFM from AFM Workshop.
It is equipped with two scanners, enabling large (low resolution) or small (high resolution) sample imaging. It has an standard liquid cell for in-situ measurements, and a custom-made liquid heater cell (ambient to 60 Celsius), with 0.1 degree accuracy. It has been upgraded with two new ADC cards, so it's now capable of recording 12 channels simultaneously, and displaying a life feed of height, scanner voltage, amplitude, etc (see left image above). It's installed in a custom-made vibration and acoustic isolation cabinet.
Here are more detailed specifications:
- Instrument Configuration: Optical lever - based sample-scanning AFM
- Sample Size: Maximum ca. 20x20x5 mm
- Imaging Modes: vibrating (tapping), non-vibrating (contact), phase imaging, lateral force microscopy (friction force microscopy)
- Imaging Environment: Air or Liquid.
- Imaging temperature ambient to 60 ºC
- Z-translation: Vertical direct drive (1 micron resolution)
- XY Translation: Manual
- Video Optical Microscope: Zoom to 400X, 3 micron resolution (3M pixel camera)
- Scan Range: 50x50x17 microns or 20x20x7 microns
- Linearisation: All axes (x, y and z) with strain guages, can be turned off for enhanced signal to noise ratio
- Z noise level: less than 40 picometers
- Vibration isolation: Passive vibration isolation, with acoustic shielding
- Image aquisition: can collect up to 12 channels simultaneously
Instrument #2: San Diego
This is a Life Sciences AFM (model B) from AFM Workshop. It is a probe-scanning AFM with maximum 50 micron scan range. it is mounted on an inverted optical microscope, equipped for brightfield, phase, and fluorescence microscopy. We have both air and liquid scanning-capable probe holders. It is typically used for cell studies and other transparent samples. UPDATE: This instrument currently not available.
Instrument #3: Ontario
Recently installed, this instrument is very similar to the Longbeach instrument, it is a little newer and has the latest (and experimental) software installed.
- Instrument Configuration: Optical lever - based sample-scanning AFM
- Sample Size: Maximum ca. 20x20x5 mm
- Imaging Modes: vibrating (tapping), non-vibrating (contact), phase imaging, lateral force microscopy (friction force microscopy)
- Imaging Environment: Air only.
- Imaging temperature: room temperature
- Z-translation: Vertical direct drive (1 micron resolution)
- XY Translation: Manual
- Video Optical Microscope: Zoom to 400X, 3 micron resolution (3M pixel camera)
- Scan Range: 50x50x17 microns. An optional smaller scanner can be fitted
- Linearisation: All axes (x, y and z) with strain guages, can be turned off for enhanced signal to noise ratio
- Z noise level: less than 50 picometers
- Vibration isolation: Passive vibration isolation, with acoustic shielding
Booking Schedules and Calendars:
Click the link below to see the Longbeach Google calendar
TT-AFM - Longbeach
Or click the link below to see the calendar for "Ontario"
Example Images
Here are just a few example images measured with the TT-AFM (Longbeach) instrument on a variety of samples.
More images can be found in the LS-AFM image gallery and the TT-AFM image gallery.
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TT-AFM Protocols
- Startup Procedure
- Shutdown Procedure
- Insertion and laser alignment of probes
- Scanning in contact "non-vibrating" mode
- Approaching in vibrating mode
- Scanning in tapping or "vibrating" mode
- Opening files: We recommend using Gwyddion version 2.22 or later.
- These protocols may be outdated, meanwhile, here is a link to the latest version of the protocols document for use of "Long Beach": TTAFM_protocols.pdf
Troubleshooting
There is a Google Docs file I have created which contains the solutions to some problems that might crop up using the TT-AFM. This could also apply to other TT-AFM instruments. You can reach it (for viewing) via this link: TT-AFM troubleshooting. If you have something to add to the document, and wish to contribute, just email me (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) for access.