Modular AFM

ptimized conditions/Maximized outcome
Conducting SPM measurements in vacuum offers significant advantages in comparison to
measuring under ambient conditions. Working in vacuum optimizes the resonance frequency
or “Q-factor” of the cantilever, producing clearer, crisper, higher resolution images for semicontact AFM modes and significantly increased sensitivity for non-contact modes such as MFM
(magnetic force microscopy) and EFM (electrostatic force microscopy). On the other hand,
working in vacuum can be a hindrance because of the long delays necessary when pumping
down the system and the challenges in changing samples within bulky and very expensive
pumping systems.

NTEGRA Aura solves these problems. Engineered in an economical, compact package,
Aura’s vacuum improves the Q-factor ten-fold after only one minute of pumping. For many
experiments, 10 -3 torr is sufficient to optimize the Q-factor.

Immediate readout of true sample environment
Built-in into the NTEGRA body and protected by a transparent crystalline sapphire plate, a
compact LCD monitor constantly reports temperature and humidity inside the system enclosure.
Need to dry out your sample before measuring? Or keep it at temperature? NT-MDT engineering
maintains thermal stability to ± 0.005 °C (typically).
Also common to all NTEGRAs: the direct optical viewing system. Use it to scan for the right
measurement area. Zoom in to target the tip. Record an optical image for documentation to
correlate with your AFM images and measurements.

Extending ultimate control to ultra small area
NTEGRA Aura incorporates the closed loop feedback sensors common to the full NTEGRA
line. These sensors read the real scanner displacement and compensate for parasitic properties
including non-linearity, hysteresis and creep. Proprietary NT-MDT sensors design produces
exceptionally low noise level, a significant breakthrough in scanning technology. As a result you
can scan the areas as small as 50x50 nm and even less with the closed loop feedback enabled.

Precise control — accurate influence
Precisely controlling the environment also opens a unique opportunity for controlled surface
modification. NTEGRA Aura includes a wide range of tools and methods for mechanical,
magnetic, and electrical surface modification. Raster or vector nanolithography is standard in
all NTEGRA software. For example, without any preset sequence, length or patterning direction,
the system can make a template from common graphic image files then translate the template to
the sample surface, all using standard, included algorithms.