Atomic Force Microscopy Facility

Position: Experimental facilities

About the facility

Our Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) Facility specialises in the characterisation of a wide range of material surfaces, from biological samples, polymer systems and pharmaceutical ingredients to metallic coatings, magnetic materials and fabricated devices.

AFM uses a tiny probe to scan the surface of a sample, mapping its landscape at micrometre and nanometre scales, producing high-resolution 3D topographic images, while also measuring a wide range of properties, including mechanical, electrical, magnetic, piezoelectric, and thermal behaviour. It can operate in air, liquid or vacuum, allowing the study of structure, mechanics and dynamics of a sample in its native environment in real-time, at the nanoscale.

With a suite of eight different AFMs, we provide a range of analytical options across the widest breadth of sample types. Our AFMs are available to students, researchers and internal and external academics for training, consultation and collaborative projects. We also undertake projects with industry partners.

If you’re a business, learn about accessing our facilities.

Available equipment

Bruker NanoRacer, the first of its kind in the UK. A state-of-the-art system capable of capturing 50 frames per second in liquid or air, ideally suited for observing dynamic processes at high speed.
Bruker NanoWizard 4 and a Picoquant MicroTime 200, an AFM combined with confocal fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) for simultaneous measurements; 405nm, 485nm, 560nm, 640nm and 810nm laser lines for FLIM measurements, additional modules include the three-axis sample scanning TAO module, CellHesion stage with z-piezo range of 100 microns, BioCell with temperature control and Petri Dish heater.
Bruker Dimension FastScan for fast-scanning up to one frame per second in air or liquid with a heater-cooler stage for imaging at 2 to 80鈩� in air and 2 to 45鈩� in liquid.
Bruker Dimension Icon for metrology and large-scale imaging of rough samples, providing high-resolution maps of elastic modulus, adhesion and dissipation.
Asylum MFP-3D-BIO AFM combined with epifluorescence microscopy and equipped with lateral probe control for nanofiber mechanics, UV illumination for cell mechanics (plant, mammalian). Also used for single protein unfolding.
Asylum MFP-3D equipped with Variable Field Module (VFM 3) for directional magnetic field control; maximum in-plane field of 6000 G and out-of-plane field of 1300G.
Two Bruker Multimode 8 AFMs, versatile, multipurpose AFM for high-throughput sampling. Fluid cells for peak-force nanomechanical measurements in liquid, probe holder for electric measurements.

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