Bruker Awarded Fourth PeakForce Tapping Patent

Bruker has announced that it has recently been awarded its fourth patent for PeakForce Tapping®, its proprietary atomic force microscopy mode that uniquely provides a combination of the highest resolution AFM imaging with the most quantitative property mapping data possible. The patent is issued for the PeakForce Tapping’s specific method of achieving piconewton level, direct force control.

PeakForce Tapping comprises a series of patents that started with the novel concept of high-speed mechanical property mapping (US patent 7,658,097) and evolved into a family of unique AFM modes that include ScanAsyst® (US patent 8,650,660), PeakForce QNM® (US patent 8,646,109) and the recently issued PeakForce Tapping control (US patent 8,739,309).

This series of patented offerings have enabled researchers of all AFM experience levels to perform atomic force microscopy imaging with unprecedented precision in force control and access physical properties information at the nanometer scale for broader category of materials. Additionally, PeakForce Tapping has been extended to electrical AFM modes, such as PeakForce TUNA™ and PeakForce KPFM™.

“As PeakForce Tapping maps the surface, we use feedback to keep the peak interaction force constant, down to tens of piconewtons, in both air and fluid. Because of this simplicity and direct force control, we can preserve the tip as sharp as a few nanometers, which gives us consistent high resolution, including resolving individual atoms,” explained Dr. Chanmin Su, PeakForce Tapping co-inventor and Senior Director of Technology of Bruker’s AFM Business. “Direct force control at pN level and ability to maintain performance for broad range of samples enable users to acquire high-quality images easily, even on complicated samples as multi-component polymers, biomolecules and cells. At the same time the technology provides rich, high-resolution quantitative nanomechanical and nano-electrical data.”

“This latest patent for PeakForce Tapping adds to the rapidly growing list of PeakForce Tapping technology advances that are empowering our customers’ AFM work in both materials and life sciences research,” added David V. Rossi, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Bruker's AFM Business. “With its ability to achieve the highest resolution imaging while providing quantitative property mapping on whatever you measure, PeakForce Tapping continues to fulfill the full promise of how AFMs can enable the highest level of scientific research. This is supported by the fact that PeakForce Tapping has led to over 700 peer-reviewed publications since its inception. We are very pleased that we have been able to bring this unique technology to the scientific community while also removing some of the traditional barriers associated with atomic force microscopy.”