1,000,000x Magnification with Atomic Force Microscope

Today we're looking at Atomic Force Microscopy! I built a "macro-AFM" to demonstrate the principles of an atomic force microscope, then we look at a real AFM (an nGauge AFM from ICSPI) and do a few scans in the shop to see how it works.

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AFM is a complimentary technique to SEM. Both can provide nanometer resolution images, but their different mechanisms (phyiscal probing vs electron beam) means they have different characteristics. AFM excels in precise heightmaps of the sample, easy scanning (no vacuum, no metal coating) and a diverse range of related techniques. SEM offers high depth-of-field and a very large field of view, which makes it easy to get a broad overview of a sample and then zoom in. Labs often use both in research because they compliment each other's strengths.

Macro-AFM inspiration paper: Amin-Shahidi, Darya, and David Trumper. "Macro-scale atomic force microscope: An experimental platform for teaching precision mechatronics." Mechatronics 31 (2015): 234-242.

0:00 AFM Scans!
1:26 What is Atomic Force Microscopy?
3:10 DIY "Macro-AFM" and real AFM
4:34 Macro-AFM overview
6:44 Cantilever displacement sensing
7:30 Scanning on the Macro-AFM
8:45 Tricky aspects of scanning probe microscopy
10:20 Topographic result of lattice scan
10:50 Traditional AFMs are big
12:34 MEMs scanner on the nGauge
13:45 Scan: Tungsten Carbide insert
17:42 Scan: Ablated aluminum
19:47 Scan: Gage block
20:52 Conclusion

[dienelt]

Shows the results at the beginning of the video : ABSOLUTE LEGEND

[MatryxMayhem]

The best part. Is that Historically humanity in the past has poked things with sticks to try and understand them. But in the present day we still do, the stick has just become a whole lot cooler.

[RememberingMaryEvely]

I've been retired some 12 years now, but back in the '90s I lead a team to select and purchase an AFM. I then supported it (and its Windows 3.1 interface) and trained users. Your model is excellent.

[pnkller]

Amazing! As a technician in a physical lab i applaud you for the great explanation, and the macroscale AFM makes it so much clearer for everyone!

[tkmk]

Can we talk about how he literally built a scanning microscope for demonstration purposes?

[faxezu]

As a PhD Student in MEMS technology the chip a 7:18 just put me in awe.
I know how complex the mechanics of the "simple actuation" I want to achieve is. This thing with x/y/z controlled motion is just beyond and stunning to see in almost exclusive silicon.
Edit: 13:06 blew me away even more! One can still see the point the the "arm" was etched free from the surface, amazing!

[iain]

Holy shit that pcb is crazy, those little flexures are really cool

[satrioarif]

Love this so much, its like the most basic nature of humanity.
"What the fuck is this? lets poke with a stick" thoughts stand the test of time to the fricking atom

[Justin-dvul]

Atomic force microscopy is one of my favorite microscopy techniques, just because it can see down to nanometer resolution, give quantitative data in the Z direction, and the sample does not needs to be in a vacuum. compared to scanning electron microscopy, which requires the sample to be in vacuum, does not see in 3d or give quantitive data in the Z direction.

Atomic force microscopes are just so cool

[andrewphillip]

It’s really incredible we get to have complete MEMS AFMs in 2021. Seems like this came a bit early

[u_t]

I hear on good authority that "Tapping on atoms with a very sharp stick" is also a highly technical term.
Great video, easy enough to follow even though I had no idea about your field. Thanks for sharing.

[eVITORIOe]

try it in a CD, we should be able to see the data in the grooves.

[Alexander_Sannikov]

what i really like about your channel right now is that while it hasn't exploded yet, you have enough time to reply to semi-sensible comments that we leave, which i'm pretty sure will not be the case once it takes off :)

[ugurunver]

That's basically a vinyl record player in atomic scale. And I liked how that image gauge block surface resembles Mars surface. I mean, i know they just choose to use that color palette for images but i think it's worth to think about the surface detail/mass ratios of both Mars and gauge blocks.

[zeropoint]

So i've had that project in my mind for a while.

A geometry scanner to scan complex surfaces in a more or less automated way.
Mechanically like a 3d printer, but with a probe instead of a hotend.
Nothing extra fancy, all i want is .5mm of resolution on each axis.
Guess now i finally have the inspiration for the probe design.

Great stuff!

[holemajora]

Honestly I can’t think of a single case in my life where I would need this but it’s still cool information.

Ps: awesome deal, maybe unorthodox but a sweet deal

[amoose]

It’s a shame they too operate on the “request for quote” pricing model. Look I don’t care if your product cost 1k, 10k, 1M, or 10M just list the damn price, whatever it is.

[Galeere]

This is incredible. Imagine how cheap it could be if it was mass-produced

[Ratkill]

That gauge block surface really put the resolution into perspective for me. Unbelievable. It looks like the surface of mars, not some of machining's most finely surfaced measuring tools.

[CrazyMineCuber]

Very cool indeed! I just finished a very similar project at university. We made our own Scanning Tunnelling Microscope! Uses most of the same principles, but instead of tapping on the surface, you move a very sharp probe about an atom away from the surface. Then when a small voltage between the probe and the sample is applied, a magical current appear that is extremely distance sensitive. Our goal was to see atoms, so a micrometer is pretty huge in my brain currently :)