Agilent
Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the addition of several new
capabilities to the Agilent 5600LS, a high-resolution atomic force microscope
that utilizes a fully addressable 200mm x 200mm stage and a low-noise AFM design
to image both large and small samples. For ultimate flexibility, the 5600LS
stage can now accommodate either a single large sample or multiple small samples,
each of whose locations can be programmed into the state-of-the-art AFM system.
Outstanding instrument versatility makes the 5600LS an ideal choice for multi-user
facilities.
“The 5600LS is the world’s only commercially available AFM that
allows imaging of large samples in air as well as small samples either in air
or in liquid under temperature control with a high-resolution 9-micron scanner,”
said Jeff Jones, operations manager for Agilent’s AFM facility in Chandler,
Arizona. “The 5600LS system’s ability to utilize open- and closed-loop
scanners with a 9-micron scan range allows imaging of small feature sets at
atomic resolution. This advanced multipurpose AFM enables a remarkably broad
set of nanotechnology applications, including semiconductor, materials science,
and life science studies.”
A special Agilent stage adapter permits the 5600LS to be used with a sample
plate that facilitates in-fluid imaging of small samples. Heating and cooling
control is also offered for imaging biological and polymer samples in liquid.
Agilent’s patented MAC Mode gives 5600LS users industry-leading performance
for in-fluid and soft-sample imaging.
The 5600LS supports all major AFM modes. Utilization of MAC Mode III provides
three user-configurable lock-in amplifiers, affording researchers virtually
limitless application possibilities and unprecedented speed. MAC Mode III allows
single-pass imaging concurrent with KFM/EFM, facilitates vertical or lateral
modulation studies, and supports the use of higher resonance modes of the cantilever.
The 5600LS is also compatible with Agilent’s unique scanning microwave
microscopy (SMM) mode, which combines the compound, calibrated electrical measurement
capabilities of a microwave vector network analyzer (VNA) with the nanoscale
spatial resolution and high-precision positioning of an atomic force microscope
for the first time. SMM Mode outperforms traditional AFM-based scanning capacitance
microscopy techniques, offering far greater application versatility, the ability
to acquire quantitative results, and the highest sensitivity and dynamic range
in the industry.
Posted March 11th, 2009