Dimension Scanner Probe Holders

The probe holder (colloquially referred to as the 'cantilever holder') for the scanner is a small printed circuit card or acrylic block that holds the probe substrate firmly at the proper angle. The standard holder is used for operation in air, while a holder with a clear glass window is used for fluid cell operations. Probe holders include the cantilever piezoelectric stack, electrical contacts to the drive circuits, and gold-plated spring sockets that mate with the gold-plated pins at the end of the scanner. There is also a spring-loaded clip to secure the substrate to the probe holder assembly.

You can easily change the probe holder on the microscope for different operating modes:

For more information on the various probe holders available for the Dimension Icon, see Dimension Series Probe Holder Selection.

Standard Probe Holder

The standard probe holder contains a piezoelectric stack to oscillate the cantilever for TappingMode AFM. The same cantilever holder is used for Contact AFM, but no voltage is applied to the piezo stack.

Fluid Probe Holder

The fluid cell probe holder provides an optically transparent cover over the back of the cantilever to maintain the optical path of the laser beam constant when the tip is submerged in a fluid medium. If the probe holder was not immersed in the fluid medium, imaging with the tip submerged in fluid would be impossible due to variable surface scattering effects. These effects cause the reflected laser beam to move randomly during imaging, rendering the reflected signal useless for SPM imaging. For more information see Probes and Accessories for Fluid Operation.

Figure 1: High Efficiency Direct Drive Fluid Probe Holder (Version 1)

Figure 2: High Efficiency Direct Drive Fluid Probe Holder (Version 2)

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