Bruker Nano Gmbh

Charles Meyer

Chanmin Su

Shuiqing Hu

Johannes Kindt

Daniel Lyons

James Shaw

Russ Mead

A sample vessel retention mechanism for an inverted microscope having an optical objective and a scanning probe microscope (SPM) head. The inverted microscope includes a platform for supporting a sample vessel, in which is formed an aperture sized to provide a passage for the objective of the inverted microscope to approach the sample vessel from below. The retention mechanism provides a vacuum region formed in the platform, with the vacuum region being barometrically coupled with a vacuum generator. Establishment of a vacuum in the vacuum region prevents or substantially reduces oscillation of the sample vessel floor in an operating frequency range of the SPM head.

Sample vessel retention structure for scanning probe microscope

An SPM assembly includes an SPM and a wide field image acquisition device that can be used to rapidly locate a region of interest and position that region within a SPM scan range of 100 microns or less. The wide field image acquisition device may include a low resolution camera having wide field of view in excess of 12 mm, and a high magnification camera having a field of view in the single mm range. Alternatively, a single camera could be used if it has sufficient zoom capability to have functionalities commensurate with both cameras. Collocation preferably is employed to coordinate translation between the low magnification and high magnification cameras (if separate cameras are used) and between the high magnification camera and the SPM.

Scanning probe microscope with improved feature location capabilities

A cleaning station for thoroughly cleaning the AFM component surfaces that are exposed to fluid during imaging of a sample supported in a fluid medium is disclosed. The cleaning station is designed to selectively expose the AFM component surfaces to cleansing agents, such as soap/detergent and water, plasma cleaning, etc., and cleaning tools, such as brushes, while protecting fluid sensitive components from exposure to the cleansing agents. The preferred embodiments are particularly beneficial for scanners in which the fluid sensitive components (actuator, sensor, connector, etc.) are integrated in the same device to which the cantilever holder is attached.

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Goleta, CA, United States of America

Charles Meyer