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A compact CCD‐monitored atomic force microscope with optical vision and improved performances
Author(s) -
Mingyue Liu,
Haijun Zhang,
Dongxian Zhang
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.22250
Subject(s) - image stitching , cantilever , optics , microscope , image quality , atomic force microscopy , sample (material) , materials science , optical microscope , field of view , deflection (physics) , dynamic range , computer science , nanotechnology , computer vision , physics , image (mathematics) , scanning electron microscope , composite material , thermodynamics
A novel CCD‐monitored atomic force microscope (AFM) with optical vision and improved performances has been developed. Compact optical paths are specifically devised for both tip‐sample microscopic monitoring and cantilever's deflection detecting with minimized volume and optimal light‐amplifying ratio. The ingeniously designed AFM probe with such optical paths enables quick and safe tip‐sample approaching, convenient and effective tip‐sample positioning, and high quality image scanning. An image stitching method is also developed to build a wider‐range AFM image under monitoring. Experiments show that this AFM system can offer real‐time optical vision for tip‐sample monitoring with wide visual field and/or high lateral optical resolution by simply switching the objective; meanwhile, it has the elegant performances of nanometer resolution, high stability, and high scan speed. Furthermore, it is capable of conducting wider‐range image measurement while keeping nanometer resolution. Microsc. Res. Tech. 76:931–935, 2013 . © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.