Zeiss Basic SPM System; AFM and STM with a Vibration Isolation Chamber, Potentiostat/Galvanostat

In the 1980's Binning & Rohrer, developed a technique from studying surface structures termed Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM). A whole range of related techniques have since been developed which are generally referred to as Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) techniques. Of these techniques, the most important is Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). AFM utilises a sharp probe scanning over the surface of a sample. The probe in AFM is a tip on the end of a cantilever which bends in response to the force between the tip and the sample. AFM is optimized for measuring surface features that are extremely small in the nanometer scale. AFM gives real space images with very high resolution, not only in vacuum or in air; but also in solutions, including electrolytes in the case of Electrochemical AFM which allows for imaging of electrode surfaces in solution under electrochemical control. Thus, the topographic imaging of electrode surfaces can be performed. The SPM system described here, possesses these features.