Digital Instruments Dimension 3000 SPM

The CMMP group at the Florida State University Department of Physics has a Digital Instruments Dimension 3000 scanning probe microscope (SPM) that is available to the local research community. A small fee of $25/hour is assessed for usage of this instrument. The cost of probes is extra.

Scanning probe microscopy, or SPM, refers to a collection of microscopies that exploit a physical probe to image a surface. By using a vertical piezoelectric device (Z) the probe is maintained constant as it is scanned across the surface using two orthogonal horizontal piezo's (X & Y). In the case of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) that probe is a tunneling current, while in the case of atomic force microscopy (AFM) that probe is the amplitude (tapping AFM) or deflection (contact AFM) of a mechanical cantilever. The Dimension 3000 SPM can perform all these imaging techniques-- STM and both contact and tapping AFM-- in air as well as in liquids. Since the surface morphology is imaged directly, such measures of surface character as average roughness (R_a), bearing, feature depth, surface area and surface fractal dimension can be directly obtained. Digital filtering and editing of images is possible to produce high quality 2D and 3D images as well as 1D sections.

Advantages: direct imaging of surface topography; ability to exploit specialty tips for special imaging techniques (e.g. MFM, LFM, CFM); accuracy and precision of feature measurement; 2D and 3D images as well as 1D sections; ability to image in air as well as liquids; specialty magnetic and non-ambient temperature stages; nano-identation and nano-scratching for nano-hardness and wear measurements; direct surface measures of Ra, surface area, feature dimensions, etc.

Disadvantages: slow compared to SEM and profilometry; cost associated with probes.