Afm, Sem and X-Ray Diffraction

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AFM, SEM and X-ray diffraction AFM, SEM and X-ray diffraction AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) An Atomic Force Microscope is a powerful piece of machinery that is used to image individual molecules attached to a substrate and placed in aqueous solution. Their techniques are quite peculiar as it uses a cantilever with a very sharp tip to scan over a sample surface. It can sense the surface by using the tip of the cantilever. As it approaches the surface, the close range, attractive forces between the surface and the tip cause the cantilever to deflect towards the surface. The cantilever then is brought closer and closer to the point that it is touching the surface. The repulsive forces then take over and the cantilever is pushed away from the surface. This is where it gets interesting as they use a laser beam to detect the cantilever movements. By reflecting the beam off of the flat top of the cantilever, any movement from the cantilever will cause the lasers direction to slightly change. A piece of equipment called a position-sensitive photodiode, PSPD, can be used to track the movements of the beam. So when the AFM is passed over a raised surface, the cantilever`s movements will be tracked by the PSPD as it is reading the reflected beam. The method of imaging is quite unique as well. AFM images the topography of a sample by scanning the cantilever over the top of the surface. The raised and lowered parts of the material influences the way in which the cantilever moves up and down. This is again monitored by the PSPD. This can generate an accurate image of the surface. (Frame size: 1×1 μm2.) The z-controller was feedback to the cantilever excitation signal. A scanning electron micrograph of the ultra-soft Nano sensors Arrow-TL1 cantilever probe is shown in the top right corner. The end of the cantilever was modified with a focused ion beam to create a

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