JPK Instruments, a manufacturer of nanoanalytic instrumentation for research in life sciences and soft matter, has developed quantitative imaging capabilities for the recently launched NanoWizard3 atomic force microscopy (AFM) system.
QI is the new quantitative imaging mode from JPK. It has been developed to make AFM imaging easier than ever before. With QI, a force curve-based imaging mode, the user has the full control over the tip-sample force at every pixel of the image. There is no need for setpoint or gain adjustment while scanning.
Applying JPK's ForceWatch technology, QI delivers outstanding results on challenging samples such as soft (hydrogels or biomolecules), sticky (polymers or bacteria), loosely attached samples (nanotubes or virus particles in fluid) or samples with steep edges (powders, MEMS structures). QI mode is particularly useful in areas that demand both high resolution and force sensitivity such as biology, polymers and surface science.
The QI and QI-Advanced modes make the NanoWizard AFM a highly versatile instrument for both high-end research and routine use. With QI, AFM moves from purely imaging to deliver quantitative measurement.
The QI-Advanced software package is an extension of the standard QI version enabling quantitative measurement of nano-scale material properties such as stiffness, adhesion, dissipation and more. Once again, the imaging data is both quantitative and has high spatial resolution.
