General Usage Notes

Fluids

• The Dimension Electrochemistry Cell sample clamp is made from PTFE (also known as Teflon). It has a lip seal machined into it to seal against the user-supplied sample to prevent liquid leakage. Ensure that the sample clamp lip seal is fully supported by the sample. Otherwise it will leak and the lip seal may be damaged. Some users have also used grease to seal the EC cell to the sample.
• The Dimension General Purpose Electrochemistry Cell has a capacity of 2.5 ml of fluid while the Electrochemistry Cell has capacity of 3.0 ml of fluid. Do not overfill the EC cell or damage to the heater in the EC chuck may result. Ensure that the fluid level is sufficiently high so that it touches the bottom window of the probe holder, shown in Figure 1. The AFM will not work well if there is an air gap between the cantilever and the bottom of the window.

Figure 1: The EC cell cross-section

General Purpose Electrochemistry Cell

• Don’t let your experiment dry up. The O-ring will stick on the cover and make it harder to change covers.

• Don’t unscrew the retaining screws too far. Laser optics limit the max screw length but you have to unscrew them almost to the end to clear cover and O-ring.

• Ensure that the surface that the glass cover mounts to is clean. The cover is easier to clean with the screws removed.

• Ensure that the top O-ring sits in the grove correctly. If it does not sit completely in the groove you’ll probably break the glass.

• Tighten all the retaining screws until they just hit the glass and then start bolting them down to preload the O-ring. Don’t screw them down all the way one after the other.

• Visually inspect the cell to verify that the glass cover and O-ring form a tight seal.

• If you use an L-shaped .050” Allen wrench, don’t turn on the long lever.

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