Smart atomic force microscope features AI, robotics
The Park FX40 Atomic Force Microscope, says the company, is the first AFM to automate all up-front set up and scanning processes.
“Unlike current generations of AFM systems,” says Ryan Yoo, Vice President Product Development, “Park FX40 takes care of all the set up before and during scanning: the probe exchange, probe identification, beam alignment, sample location, tip approach and imaging optimization to name a few. All the tedious and time-consuming manual processes are now a thing of the past. Park FX40 performs all these tasks autonomously, by integrating AI intelligence into the system and incorporating robotics techniques that Park has mastered with their industry leading multimillion dollar automated AFM systems.”
The Park FX40 is offered as “an overhaul in functionality” that, while retaining the same basic design elements, enables AFMs to think and perform essential functions completely on their own. This, says the company, will allow untrained researchers to achieve a number of formerly training-intensive tasks, and trained researchers to focus on what they’re best at in their specialized fields, while the menial tasks like choosing and loading the correct probes, to automatically aligning the X, Y and Z beams along the axis, take care of themselves.
The unit’s built-in intelligence even allows users to place several samples at the onset (of the same or different types) and will image them autonomously according to user requirements. The result, says the company, is better research by obtaining publishable data easily and timely and acceleration of the research cycle for ultimate scientific and engineering success.
The Park FX40’s unique environmental sensing self-diagnostics and head crash avoidance system ensures that Park FX40 is continuously operating at its optimum performance. The Park FX40 also offers upgraded key features, including electromechanics for much reduced mechanical noise, smaller beam spot size, improved optical vision and multi snap-in sample chuck.
In designing the Park FX40, the company says it collaborated with the expert scientists at its growing network of nanotechnology research centers worldwide.
“Our scientists recognize the impact AFM has had on nanoscience innovation, allowing researchers to obtain scientific data never before witnessed,” saysDr. Sang-il Park, CEO and Founder of Park Systems. “Our ultimate goal with developing Park FX with autonomous features is to make the researcher’s job easier as they open new doors in scientific discovery.”
The Park FX40 is available now.
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