Digital Q Control

Asylum Research announces the availability of the Digital Q Control for the MFP-3D AFM. The ability to control the quality factor or "Q" of a cantilever allows imaging to be optimized for various applications. Pictured to the left is an image of SEBS polymer imaged with and without Digital Q Control. Some of the advantages/features include:

• All-digital operation allows flexible, low noise and frequency independent Q Control.
  
  
• Q enhancement allows you to stay in the attractive mode longer, even with a sharp tip and/or with large amplitudes. This illustration shows the Q of four different cantilevers with resonant frequencies ranging from ~6kHz to ~1MHz. The blue curves show the "native" tuning curves. The red curves show the results for an enhanced Q, the black for a reduced Q.
  
  
• Transients cause sample and tip damage. Q Control allows these to be minimized by keeping you in the attractive (or repulsive) mode, minimizing transients.
  
  
• High Q is less traumatic for soft samples.

For more details, contact us at support@AsylumResearch.com.

SEBS polymer without
(above) and with (below)
Digital Q Control, 18µm scan.