The TT-AFM is a light lever AFM that is ideal for researchers, instrument builders, OEMs and educators.* This compact AFM has all of the important features and benefits expected from a light lever AFM. The TT-AFM includes everything you need for AFM scanning: a stage, control electronics, probes, manuals and a video microscope.

* The TT-AFM may be purchased as a kit. If purchased as a kit, you can assemble it yourself with the detailed instructions, or you can attend one of our company-sponsored workshops and assemble it with a group of other customers.

Stage

The TT-AFM stage has excellent thermal and mechanical stability required for high-resolution AFM scanning. Additionally, its open design provides flexibility that is desirable in an AFM. The stage  includes:

Features and Benefits of the TT-AFM Stage

Rigid frame design – The crossed-beam design for the stage support is extremely rigid so the AFM is less susceptible to external vibrations.

Light lever AFM force sensor – Light lever force sensors are used in almost all atomic force microscopes and permit many types of experiments.
         
Integrated probe holder/probe exchanger – A probe holder mechanism incorporates a clipping mechanism that make exchanging probes very easy. (More information.)

Direct drive Z stage – A linear motion stage is used to move the probe in a perpendicular motion to the sample. Probe/sample angle alignment is not required, making probe approach take much less time.

Small footprint – The stage is only 7.5” X 12”, so it does not require much space and fits easily on a table top. Additionally, if a vibration platform is required, it can be very small.

Precision X-Y stage with micrometer – The sample is moved relative to the probe with a precision X-Y micrometer stage. With this stage it is possible to move the sample without having to touch it or remove the sample from the stage.

Modes electric plug – A six-pole electrical plug is located at the front of the stage for expanding the capabilities of the TT-AFM. Modes such as STM, EFM and MFM can be easily added to the product.

Xyz precision piezo scanner – Modified tripod design with small out-of-plane motion and temperature-compensated strain gauges. Accurate images may be measured and it is possible to rapidly zoom to a feature while scanning. 

Laser/detector alignment – Both the light lever laser and photodetector adjustment mechanisms may be directly viewed. This feature often helps simplify the laser/detector alignment.

Adaptable sample holder – At the top of the xyz scanner is a removable cap that holds the sample. The cap can be modified or a new cap can be designed for holding many types of samples.

EBox

Electronics in the TT-AFM are constructed around industry-standard USB data acquisition electronics. The critical functions such as X-Y scanning are optimized with a 24-bit digital to analog converter. With the analog Z feedback loop, the highest fidelity scanning is possible. Vibrating-mode scanning is possible with both phase and amplitude feedback using the high-sensitivity phase detection electronics

24 bit scan DAC – Scanning waveforms for generating precision motion in the X-Y axis with the piezo scanners are created with 24-bit DACS driven by a 32-bit micro controller. With 24-bit scanning, the highest resolution AFM images may be measured. Feedback control using the X-Y strain gauges assures accurate tracking of the probe over the surface.

Phase and amplitude detector circuit – Phase and amplitude in the EBox are measured with highly stable phase and amplitude chips. The system can be configured to feedback on either phase or amplitude when scanning in vibrating mode.

Signal accessible – At the rear of the EBox is a 50-pin ribbon cable that gives access to all of the primary electronic signals without having to open the EBox. A 50-pin ribbon cable is included with the TT-AFM.

Status lights – At the front of the EBox is a light panel that has seven lights. In the unlikely event of a circuit failure, these lights are used for determining the status of the EBox.

Precision analog feedback – Feedback from the light lever force sensor to the Z piezoceramic is made using a precision analog feedback circuit. The position of the probe may be fixed in the vertical direction with a sample-and-hold circuit.

Variable gain high voltage piezo drivers – Improved signal to noise as well as extremely small scan ranges are possible with the variable gain high voltage piezo drivers.

Probe Holder/Exchange

The TT-AFM utilizes a unique probe holder/exchange mechanism. The probes are held in place with a spring mechanism that mates with a probe exchange tool. With the probe exchange tool, changing probes takes only a few minutes.

Software

Software for acquiring images is designed with the industry-standard LabView (TM) programming visual-interface instrument design environment. Standard functions such as setting scanning parameters, probe approach, frequency tuning and displaying images in real time are included with the product. If you want to enhance the software with special features, LabView (TM) facilitates rapid development. With LabView, the TT-AFM can be readily combined with any other instrument that uses the LabView VI.

	Pre-Scan window – A "Pre-Scan" window includes all of the functions that are required before a scan is started. The functions are presented in a logical sequence on the screen.
Scan window – Once all of the steps in the "Pre-Scan" window are completed, the "Scan" window is used for measuring images. Scan parameter, Z feedback parameters and image view functions may be changed with dialogs on this screen.
	LabView window – LabView is an industry-standard programming environment for controlling instrumentation. All of the software for the TT-AFM is written with LabView. There are several advantages to using LabView. For example, the software can be readily customized and modified for specialized applications. Additionally, other instrumentation that already uses LabView can be added to the TT-AFM to create new comparabilities.

Image Analysis Software

Included with the TT-AFM is the Gwyddion open-source SPM image-analysis software. This complete image-analysis package has all of the software functions necessary to process, analyze and display SPM images. The current version of Gwyddion provides at least the following visualization and processing functions:

Visualization: false color representation with different types of mapping Shaded, logarithmic, gradient- and edge-detected, local contrast representation, Canny lines OpenGL 3-D data display: false color or material representation Easily-edited color maps and OpenGL materials Basic operations: rotation, flipping, inversion, data arithmetic, crop, re sampling Leveling: plane leveling, profiles leveling, three-point leveling, facet leveling, polynomial background removal, leveling along user-defined lines Value reading, distance and angle measurement Profiles: profile extraction, measuring distances in profile graph, profile export Filtering: mean, median, conservative denoise, Kuwahara, minimum, maximum, checker pattern removal General convolution filter with user-defined kernel Statistical functions: Ra, RMS, projected and surface area, inclination, histograms, 1-D and 2-D correlation functions, PSDF, 1-D and 2-D angular distributions, Minkowski functionals, facet orientation analysis Statistical quantities calculated from area under arbitrary mask Row/column statistical quantities plots ISO roughness parameter evaluation Grains: threshold marking and un-marking, watershed marking Grain statistics: overall and distributions of size, height, area, volume, boundary length, bounding dimensions Integral transforms: 2-D FFT, 2-D continuous wavelet transform (CWT), 2-D discrete wavelet transform (DWT), wavelet anisotropy detection Fractal dimension analysis Data correction: spot remove, outlier marking, scar marking, several line correction methods (median, modus) Removal of data under arbitrary mask using Laplace or fractal interpolation Automatic X-Y plane rotation correction Arbitrary polynomial deformation on X-Y plane 1-D and 2-D FFT filtering Fast scan axis drift correction Mask editing: adding, removing or intersecting with rectangles and ellipses, inversion, extraction, expansion, shrinking Simple graph function fitting, critical dimension determination Force-distance curve fitting Axes scale calibration Merging and immersion of images Tip modeling, blind estimation, dilation and erosion