Purchase of a Customisable Multifunctional Scanning Probe Microscope

Descriptions

The Purchaser is inviting tenders on the terms set out in this further competition for the supply, delivery and installation of a Purchase of a Customisable Multifunctional Scanning Probe Microscope. We seek a scanning probe microscope (SPM) with multiple standard AFM and STM contrast modes using standard cantilevers and kinematically repositionable cantilever/STM tip holder, laser beam deflection cantilever deflection sensing and also electronics capable of tuning fork SPM probe operation, large area closed loop sample scanner, ability of in-air and in-liquid studies, access to the input and output signals, ability to synchronise scanning with external signals, and good optical access to the cantilever and the sample from the top. This SPM will be used to obtain a reference image of the studied sample using standard SPM modes, and then to guide a Purchaser made nanoscale optical probe (OP) to the area of interest. The OP will be attached to the tuning fork actuator (TFA) providing tip-surface distance feedback, and coupled to the free electron laser (FEL) light source that is fixed in space, hence the need for the sample scanning. The facility will be used for the EPSRC Strategic Capital Equipment project "High Performance Wide spectral range Nanoprobe (HiWiN)".