Cypher SPM
User Guide
22. Move the cantilever toward the sample.
l
Place your eyes level with the cantilever and sample,
so you can clearly see the gap between cantilever
and sample.
l
Slowly turn the Engage Control Knob on the AFM
enclosure counterclockwise.
The more you turn, the faster it goes.
Nothing but your attentiveness will prevent the
cantilever holder from crashing into the sample. If
you crash the cantilever holder you may cause ser-
ious damage to your cantilever holder and scanner.
l
Close the gap between tip and sample to about 1 mil-
limeter.
You can stop further away. Doing so causes the auto-
mated engage to take a little longer.
You are now ready to begin imaging by controlling the instrument with the AZtecAFM software.
30.2 Loading the cantilever and sample on an environmental scanner
This tutorial is designed to be performed, not merely read. You will learn the most if you operate
the instrument yourself, with an experienced user watching and providing advice.
If you own the standard scanner, please follow the tutorial in
This tutorial covers sample and cantilever loading as well as the coarse approach of the cantilever
tip toward the sample. It is designed for a Cypher SPM equipped with the environmental scanner
and a standard spot SLD or laser module (see
Types of light tube and how to identify them on
).
You need the following items to perform the tutorial:
Cantilever
You will need an AC160TS cantilever, which is manufactured by Olympus. The
AC160TS, with a spring constant of ~42 N/m and a resonance frequency of ~300
kHz, is a workhorse for AC mode imaging in air. Every Cypher SPM ships with a
package of AC160s. If these cantilevers are unavailable, any cantilever with a sim-
ilar spring constant and resonance frequency should work fine.
Sample
The tutorial uses the Asylum Research calibration grating that ships with every sys-
tem (part# 290.237).
Tools
Part# 290.102: Tweezers with curved tips.
Part# 290.165: Platypus tweezers.
Part# 290.139: 1/16” ball head wrench.
30 Workflows
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