Focus on microscopy, imaging, and nanotechnology

The Polar from Sigma Surface Science and its partner Mantis Deposition is a UHV low-temperature bath cryostat scanning probe microscope (SPM). It is designed for use in high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy, qPlus atomic force microscopy, and spectroscopy experiments in which the temperature range is less than 5 K to 300 K. The rigid cryostat can operate with either liquid helium or liquid nitrogen. Efficient thermal shielding is the key to the Polar’s very low liquid-helium consumption, hold time of more than 200 h, and high stability with respect to temperature, which results in low drift. It can be equipped with a superconducting magnet for vertical fields of up to B_Z = ±5 T. The Polar features the Sigma Tribus SPM head, which provides 3D coarse motion, high intrinsic stability, easy tip and sample exchange, and optical access. The compact, economical Polar is available as a complete research solution or as a bolt-on upgrade to an SPM-compatible UHV system. Mantis-Sigma, 10200 E Girard Ave, Bldg A, Ste 300, Denver, CO 80231, www.sigma-surface-science.com

The SurfRider HQ-series atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes manufactured by Asylum Research can be used in all commercially available AFMs. According to Asylum, an Oxford Instruments company, the silicon probes offer ease of use, higher quality, and improved consistency for repeatable measurements compared with other probes in their class. Users can easily engage at the location of interest with controlled tip-to-cantilever registration. The vertical edges make the probes easier to handle with tweezers and reduce chipping. Models are available for all routine imaging modes. Those include tapping, force modulation, and contact modes and most nanomechanical modes. The economical HQ-series probes are suitable for routine AFM measurements and for use in educational settings and multiuser facilities. Oxford Instruments Asylum Research Inc, 6310 Hollister Ave, Santa Barbara, CA 93117, www.asylumresearch.com

Particle Works offers quantum dots with high color purity for diagnostic, biomedical, and optoelectronic applications. The optical properties of quantum dots are determined by their size, shape, and structure, so high control of their manufacturing process is crucial. According to the company, its automated, scalable production ensures that its quantum dots offer better value than other commercially available products. Particle Works fabricates highly monodisperse quantum dots with narrow size distributions—the typical coefficient of variation values is less than 2.5%—and excellent batch-to-batch consistency. The company can supply products with a range of functional coatings to suit imaging, fluorescent labeling, and lighting applications, and it offers service support for life-sciences and optoelectronic applications. Particle Works, 156 Norwell Ave, Norwell, MA 02061, www.particle-works.com

WITec has presented the latest generation of its TrueSurface optical profilometer, which combines surface analysis and Raman spectral acquisition to enable topographic Raman imaging on rough and uneven samples. Raman spectra can be precisely acquired from along a surface or at a set, user-defined distance from a surface. Because rough, inclined, or irregularly shaped samples can be investigated as easily as standard samples, sample preparation requirements are reduced. As the TrueSurface sensor monitors and maintains a set distance between the objective and the sample surface, its closed-loop operation can compensate for variations during measurements with long integration times and produce sharp chemical Raman images with submicrometer resolution. The system is suitable for investigations of complex semiconductor structures, geological samples, composite emulsions, pharmaceutical tablet coatings, and other applications. WITec GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Str 6, D-89081 Ulm, Germany, www.witec.de

Physik Instrumente has released two compact multiaxis positioning stages based on low-profile parallel-kinematic motion devices. Low heat generation and a drift-free auto-position-clamping feature allow the Q-845 and N-865 systems to achieve nanometer precision and high stability. The N-865 system with proprietary PiezoWalk linear motor technology provides 2 nm minimum incremental motion in x, y, and z with 0.2 μrad angular motion in pitch, yaw, and roll. It can support loads up to 15 N. Integrated linear encoders measure the position with 0.5 nm resolution. The compact Q-845 system uses piezo inertia drives to provide minimum incremental motion as small as 6 nm. It measures the position with 1 nm resolution, supports loads to 10 N, and achieves velocities up to 5 mm/s. Both systems feature software-programmable virtual pivot points, which are useful for alignment processes such as those required in silicon-based system-in-package and micro-optics applications. Physik Instrumente LP, 16 Albert St, Auburn, MA 01501, www.pi-usa.us

The ProEM-HS:1KBX3-10µm camera from Princeton Instruments delivers 30 fps at 1024 × 1024 pixel resolution and less than 1 e⁻ rms of effective readout noise at 36.67 MHz. Its ultrafast CCD readout mode delivers more than 4800 fps with a reduced region of interest, and its special kinetics mode delivers more than 119 000 spectra/s. The 10 μm pixel pitch is the optimal size to fully leverage the high resolution offered by Princeton Instruments’ IsoPlane-320 spectrograph. The camera features solid baseline stability and linear electron-multiplying gain control for precision photometry applications. It is cooled to below −70 °C and has all-metal, hermetic vacuum seals. High quantum efficiency and ultralow-noise electronics make the ProEM-HS:1KBX3-10µm camera suitable for low-light-level applications. Those include single-molecule detection, astronomy, hyperspectral and phosphor imaging, tomography, and microspectroscopy. Princeton Instruments, 3660 Quakerbridge Rd, Trenton, NJ 08619, www.princetoninstruments.com

Compared with the previous model SPM-8000FM scanning probe microscope (SPM), Shimadzu’s SPM-8100FM features faster data acquisition and a scan range four times wider at 10 μm in both x-axis and y-axis directions. It uses a very low noise, highly sensitive frequency modulation atomic force microscopy measurement method and offers nano-level observation with the same ultrahigh resolution in air and liquids as in a vacuum. Designed for advanced basic research in such fields as polymers, catalysts, batteries, tribology, and life sciences, the microscope can be used to study metals, semiconductors, and organic polymer and biological materials and to observe the local structure at the solid–liquid interface. An updated scanner provides high throughput, and operability has been improved. For example, the instrument now uses fewer steps to control the SPM probe as it approaches a sample surface, and the risk of it colliding with the sample has been reduced. Shimadzu Scientific Instruments Inc, 7102 Riverwood Dr, Columbia, MD 21046, www.ssi.shimadzu.com

The Park NX12, Park Systems’ economical multiuser platform for electrochemistry, analytical chemistry, and materials research, features a versatile inverted optical microscope (IOM)–based scanning probe microscope platform. It can be used for scanning ion-conductance, scanning electrochemical, scanning electrochemical cell, and atomic force microscopy to study materials ranging from organic to inorganic, transparent to opaque, and soft to hard. Materials include nanopore membranes, organic devices and electronics, and biological and pathological samples. The Park NX12 combines the base of the company’s NX10 atomic force microscope with the xy‑stage of its NX-Bio. It mounts on an IOM and supports all the available modes and options for the NX10 with enhanced optics. The IOM feature works with transparent samples via a pipette-based technique and uses the PinPoint mode in liquid for nanomechanical characterization. Park Systems Inc, 3040 Olcott St, Santa Clara, CA 95054, www.parkafm.com

According to Princeton Infrared Technologies, its 1280SciCam shortwave-IR (SWIR) imaging camera is the only megapixel SWIR camera with no International Traffic in Arms Regulations export restrictions. It has a 1280 × 1024 image sensor on a 12 µm pitch and features full frame rates up to 95 Hz. It is designed for advanced scientific and astronomy applications, spectroscopy, and machine vision and is available with various lens formats. The lattice-matched indium gallium arsenide camera detects light from the visible to the SWIR. It has a three-stage thermoelectric cooler (TEC) integrated in a vacuum package. The onboard advanced digital array offers 14-bit digital output with low read noise of less than e⁻ and no image lag. Combined with the low dark current InGaAs and TEC, it enables high-sensitivity imaging with integration times greater than 2 min. Princeton Infrared Technologies Inc, 9 Deer Park Dr, Ste J-5, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852, www.princetonirtech.com

The SpectroCam VIS-SWIR 640 multispectral imaging camera from Pixelteq is suitable for shortwave-IR (SWIR) imaging in tissue and biological material analysis for medical research and forensics, pigment and object analysis for cultural heritage applications, and quality analysis of produce for agriculture applications. It features an indium gallium arsenide sensor, full-frame 640 × 512 pixel resolution, and a 15 µm pixel pitch. It can produce live-processed images of six spectral bands at a rate of 25 fps. The lightweight, portable camera is powered by software that is easy to use and allows for quick setup. Pixelteq has also expanded its selection of SWIR filters. They are available in mounted versions for the SpectroCam filter wheel and in custom round or rectangular formats for users’ specific application needs. Pixelteq, 8060 Bryan Dairy Rd, Largo, FL 33777, www.pixelteq.com

The Zeiss Crossbeam 550 focused ion-beam (FIB) scanning electron microscope for advanced life- and materials-sciences applications improves on its predecessor model 540. It features higher resolution for imaging and material characterization, has new standards in 3D analytics, and is available with a large chamber. Nanostructures such as composites, metals, biomaterials, and semiconductors can be investigated with concurrent analytical and imaging methods. Simultaneous sample modification and monitoring allow for fast sample preparation and high throughput for processes such as cross sectioning and nano-patterning. The Crossbeam 550 provides high image quality in 2D and 3D. The Tandem decel mode enables enhanced resolution and maximizes image contrast at low landing energies, and the Gemini II electron optics delivers optimum resolution at low voltage and high probe current simultaneously. Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH, Carl-Zeiss-Promenade 10, 07745 Jena, Germany, www.zeiss.com

Zygo Corp, an Ametek company, has introduced its Verifire HDX laser interferometer system with ultrahigh spatial resolution and advanced 3D imaging of high-performance optical components and systems. It measures surface form and transmitted wavefronts with midspatial frequency content. The HDX has features from the company’s Verifire HD interferometer, such as QPSI technology, which eliminates problems due to common sources of vibration. Its enhancements include improved imaging and resolution for high instrument transfer function, ultrahigh spatial resolution for characterization of midspatial frequency responses and high-slope surface-form errors, and the DynaPhase dynamic acquisition technique for test setups with extreme vibration. A new optical design supports pixel-limited performance for the 3.4 k × 3.4 k (11.6 megapixel) sensor. The system operates at a frame rate of 96 Hz. Zygo Corporation, Laurel Brook Rd, Middlefield, CT 06455-1291, www.zygo.com