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Faster Scanning with the Dimension Icon AFM Head

Unleash bandwidth to go fast

The Icon head has become renowned for its high-resolution, large-sample capabilities. Now with Fast Tapping, this head can tap up to 10X faster in air, without any hardware changes and without any diminishing of image quality. Even faster can rates can be achieved if the image quality can be partially sacrificed.

Fast Tapping with the Icon AFM head is made possible by utilization of Bruker’s proprietary FastScan probes and optimized algorithms, enabling increased performance through Adaptive Scanning and Bidirectional Scanning. 

Fast tapping on ITOv2
Fast tapping adaptive scan

Adaptive Scanning

Bruker’s optimized adaptive non-raster scanning algorithm enables faster speeds with near-minimum force. Utilizing a specialized probe and state-of-the-art NanoScope controller technology, the Icon can achieve 2X speed gain on flat samples and up to 4X speed gain for samples with nanometer roughness when Z-resonances not limiting factor.

Bidirectional Scanning

The Icon head scanning speed can also be increased with the bidirectional scan option. Bidirectional scanning will immediately double the speed by incorporating both trace and retrace lines within an image. However, it can create artifacts that may impact results where high resolution is important , e. g., roughness measurements. This measurement works well for surveying, dynamics, or where 100s of nm feature size metrology measurements are needed. Bidirectional scanning can reach effective speeds of up to 91Hz, with some resolution tradeoff on stiff samples.

Fast Tapping bidirectional image
FastScan C probe

Leverage Bruker FastScan Probes

Bruker FastScan-C probe provides 300kHz resonance in air with 0.8N/m spring constant, allowing researchers to scan up to 10X faster by following the BKM (best known method) with limited transient forces.