Atomic force microscope attoAFM III

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The attoAFM III is an atomic force microscope designed particularly for applications at low and ultra low temperature. Due to the non-optical shear force detection based on a tuning fork, this system is ideally suited for applications where input of light is problematic. A typical application of the attoAFM III microscope is scanning gate microscopy (SGM) on semiconductor structures. This microscope is compatible with the commercially available tuning fork tips, and is available with optional interferometric encoder for closed loop scanning. The attoAFM III uses a tuning fork sensor as detection mechanism for the tip-sample forces, allowing high resolution non-contact mode imaging without the need for any optical deflection detection techniques. An AFM tip is glued onto one prong of a small quartz tuning fork, which is then excited to oscillate in horizontal direction. The decrease in amplitude due to tip-sample interaction when approaching the sample is monitored and/or used as a feedback signal. The force resolution of this technique is typically 0.1 pN.