Customized Solutions for LiteScope

LiteScope goes beyond standard AFM-in-SEM integration. It can be adapted for use in UHV, optimized for ESEM environments, or equipped with a Nanoindentation Module to unlock comprehensive material characterization.

UHV adaptation of LiteScope

E-SEM adaptation of LiteScope

Nanoindentation Module

UHV adaptation of LiteScope

LiteScope™ UHV is an atomic force microscope designed for integration into UHV Scanning Electron Microscopes. It has been successfully adapted for ultra-high vacuum (UHV) environments, making it suitable for research that requires the cleanest and most controlled measurement conditions.

UHV is essential for studies where even trace amounts of gas molecules could alter the surface properties of the sample, such as in surface science, nanotechnology, and semiconductor research. With this modification, LiteScope UHV can now operate directly in systems where UHV is a strict prerequisite, ensuring reliable AFM-in-SEM correlative measurements on the most sensitive samples.

E-SEM adaptation of LiteScope

Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy (ESEM) and Low Vacuum (LoVac) modes are designed to allow imaging of non-conductive, uncoated, or hydrated samples by introducing gas into the specimen chamber. This approach eliminates the need for conductive coatings and enables in-situ experimentation under more natural sample conditions.

LiteScope can be specially modified to operate under these conditions, ensuring stable AFM-in-SEM performance even in variable pressure environments. This modification's approved operating conditions include water vapor environments and low vacuum (LoVac), enabling researchers to investigate delicate or hydrated samples directly in their near-native state. This adaptation particularly benefits life sciences, polymers, and soft matter research. By combining AFM with ESEM observation, LiteScope provides complementary nanoscale information on surface topography, mechanical, and electrical properties without compromising sample integrity.

Nanoindentation Module

The Nanoindenter module developed with Alemnis allows LiteScope to quantitatively measure mechanical properties of the sample. The modular design ensures that LiteScope can be used in the standard way, providing a possibility to switch to a unique combination of a nanoindenter and AFM-in-SEM at any time.