Asylum Research Corporation

Oxford Instruments, Inc.

Oxford Instruments Asylum Research Inc

Oxford Instruments Afm Inc

Mario Viani

Roger B Proksch

Jason Paul Cleveland

Dan Bocek

Todd Day

Clint Callahan

Maarten Rutgers

Jim Hodgson

James A Hodgson

Matthew Klonowski

Anil Gannepalli

Daren Walters

Jonathan Hensel

Paul Costales

A modular Atomic Force Microscope that allows ultra-high resolution imaging and measurements in a wide variety of environmental conditions is described. The instrument permits such imaging and measurements in environments ranging from ambient to liquid or gas or extremely high or extremely low temperatures.

Modular atomic force microscope with environmental controls

A controller for cantilever-based instruments, including atomic force microscopes, molecular force probe instruments, high-resolution profilometers and chemical or biological sensing probes. The controller samples the output of the photo-detector commonly used to detect cantilever deflection in these instruments with a very fast analog/digital converter (ADC). The resulting digitized representation of the output signal is then processed with field programmable gate arrays and digital signal processors without making use of analog electronics. Analog signal processing is inherently noisy while digital calculations are inherently 'perfect' in that they do not add any random noise to the measured signal. Processing by field programmable gate arrays and digital signal processors maximizes the flexibility of the controller because it can be varied through programming means, without modification of the controller hardware.

Fully digitally controller for cantilever-based instruments

A modular AFM/SPM which provides faster measurements, in part through the use of smaller probes, of smaller forces and movements, free of noise artifacts, that the old generations of these devices have increasingly been unable to provide. The modular AFM/SPM includes a chassis, the foundation on which the modules of the instrument are supported; a view module providing the optics for viewing the sample and the probe; a head module providing the components for the optical lever arrangement and for steering and focusing those components; a scanner module providing the XYZ translation stage that actuates the sample in those dimensions and the engage mechanism; a isolation module that encloses the chassis and provides acoustic and/or thermal isolation for the instrument and an electronics module which, together with the separate controller, provide the electronics for acquiring and processing images and controlling the other functions of the instrument. All these modules and many of their subassemblies are replaceable and potentially upgradeable. This allows updating to new technology as it becomes available.

Modular atomic force microscope

Fully digital controller for cantilever-based instruments

Growing community of inventors

Santa Barbara, CA, United States of America

Mario Viani