Atomic Force Microscope (DI-3000)

Vendor: Digital Instruments, Model: DI-3000

Contact: Yacov Shneider (04-829-4205, shneider@ee.technion.ac.il),

 Assaf Yarden ( 052-5987181, assaf.yarden@gmail.com)

Atomic Force Microscope DI-3000 provides an ability to image and analyze surface topography of conducting and dielectric films as well as adsorbed molecules and nanoparticles by a variety of high resolution surface imaging techniques. All techniques share a common approach where a motor controlling a mechanical tip is placed in a feedback loop as the tip is scanning across a surface. The mechanism upon which the feedback is based is the predominant difference between the modes. Contact mode AFM operates by scanning a tip attached to the end of a cantilever across the sample surface while monitoring the change in cantilever deflection with a split photodiode detector. Tapping mode AFM operates by scanning a tip attached to the end of an oscillating cantilever across the sample surface. The feedback loop maintains constant oscillation amplitude by maintaining a constant RMS of the oscillation signal acquired by the split photodiode detector.

The system has a vibration isolation enclosure, to get a vertical noise resolution of sub-nanometer level.

Specifications:

  • Sample size is from small pieces up to 6″ wafers, maximum 10mm thick
  • Resolution: 2-10nm in (X-Y) (tip dependent) and sub-nm in (Z)
  • Maximum scanning area is 50×50 µm²
  • Main operation modes: Contact and Tapping modes in air and in fluids
  • Other modules are available:
    • scanning capacitance microscopy (C-V characteristics)
    • current AF microscopy (C-AFM) (local I-V characteristics)
    • tunneling-AFM (TUNA) with ultra-low current measurements