AFM Manufacturer list
The following is a simple alphabetical list of, hopefully, all the AFM manufacturers in the world. If you have any additions to make, get in touch via the contact form. For AFM probes, look at the SPM Probes list, and for reference samples, see the SPM References list. Note: I have moved the companies that are no longer separate businesses to a new list, below.
Name and Website |
Comments |
AFM Workshopwww.afmworkshop.com |
Set up by a very experienced AFM designer, AFMWorkshop started only in 2010. AFMWorkshop produce high-value AFMs, some of which are available as a self-assembly kit or as prebuilt instruments. They also sell a large-sample AFM, a life-science instrument, an instrument designed for 2D materials, and a tip-scanning AFM. |
A.P.E. Researchwww.apreresearch.com |
A.P.E. Research appears to be a small spinoff company from the University of Trieste in Italy. They have AFM, STM, and SNOM instruments. |
Asylum Research |
Asylum make two instruments, available in a wide range of configurations. Like Bruker, they claim to make the highest resolution and fastest scanning instruments available. Asylum Research is now an Oxford Instruments company. |
ATC |
ATC, Advanced Technologies Center, is a Russian manufacturer with one AFM instrument. |
Bruker |
Formerly Veeco, and before that, Digital Instruments, this company is the longest lived and largest AFM manufacturer in the world. Bruker sell a very wide range of instruments. At the top end of the range, they claim to have the highest resolution and fastest scanning of commercial instruments. |
CS Instruments |
The French company CS Instruments produce the low-cost Nano-observer AFM, and are also known for electrical mode addons for other instruments. |
DMEwww.dme-spm.com |
Danish Micro Engineering, is a small but long-lasting manufacturer with a range of AFMs and STMs. They design and build custom instruments, and a combined AFM/SEM/FIB instrument. |
GETecwww.getec-afm.com |
GETec offers custom AFM solutions for integration into existing host systems (e.g. SEM/FIB) using self-sensing probes. |
ICSPI |
ICSPI, Integrated Circuit Scanning Probe Instruments, sell small form-factor AFM instruments using a MEMS scanner with integrated tip. ICSPI started in 2007 as a spinoff from the University of Waterloo in Canada. |
Molecular Vista |
Molecular Vista specialise in nano-IR and TERS instruments. |
Nanoanalytik |
German company that make a range of systems with self-actuating and self-sensing probes, and also sell the probes. |
Nanomagnetics |
Based in Turkey, Nanomagnetics sell compact AFM and STM systems. |
Nanosurf |
Nanosurf is a Swiss AFM manufacturer which offer a wide range of SPM products. |
Nenovision |
Nenovision, based in Brno, Czech Republic, manufacture a small SPM for use in correlative microscopy inside an SEM. |
Park Systems |
Korea-based AFM manufacturer with a wide range of systems. |
RHK Technology |
USA-based company focussing on UHV (ultra high vacuum) AFM and STM systems. |
RIBMwww.ribm.co.jp/en/ |
RIBM, standing for Research Institute of Biomolecule Metrology, is a spinoff from the work of Toshio Ando, the developer of truly high-speed AFM. They sell a range of instruments focussing on high speed scanning for biomolecule dynamics visualisation. |
Defunct AFM Companies (not a full list!)
Name and Website |
Comments |
Anasyswww.anasysinstruments.com |
Anasys specialises in infrared/AFM and thermal/AFM measurements. They sold addons for popular commercial microscopes, and standalone instruments. They are now a part of Bruker's AFM division |
Anton-Parr |
Anton Parr were briefly in the AFM business with a highly automated instrument. It is still visible on their wesbite, but I understand they no longer sell it. |
Hitachi |
Hitachi sold a small range of AFM instruments, having acquired SII Nanotechnology. It does not look they are in the AFM business any longer. |
JPK |
JPK specialise in bio-applications, with AFMs designed for integration with inverted optical microscopes. Since 2018, they have been a part of Bruker's AFM division. |
Keysight |
Keysight was spun off from Agilent, which had bought the technology of Molecular Imaging, one of the oldest AFM companies. They ceased AFM operations around 2017. |
Nano Pacific |
New manufacturer offering a range of instruments at reasonable prices. Website offline, I presume they are defunct. |
Nanonicsnanonics.co.il |
An Israeli company, Nanonics specialised in integrated Raman/SNOM AFM instruments. No longer trading. |
Nanotecwww.nanotec.es |
Set up by researchers from Autonoma University in Madrid, they sold mostly in Spain. Became defunct in 2015. Also created the WSxM software package. |
NT-MDTwww.ntmdt.com |
NT-MDT was a long-lived Russian manufacturer with a wide range of AFM and STM instruments. They ceased trading in around 2022. |
WitecWitec.de |
Witec was a German manufacturer specialising in AFM combined with SNOM and Rmaan. Now a part of Oxford/Asylum. |
If you would like to have an entry on this list, contact me: contact form.