Bruker Announces Dimension FastScan, the World’s Fastest High-Resolution Atomic Force Microscope

Bruker today announced the innovative and unique Dimension FastScanTM Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), which delivers a significant breakthrough in improved imaging speed without sacrificing nanoscale resolution. The Dimension FastScan enables users to work hundreds of times faster than is possible with other commercial AFM systems, delivering results in seconds or minutes instead of hours or days. The FastScan system sets the new gold standard for performance and productivity in large-sample, atomic scale imaging across the scientific, biological, semiconductor, data storage and energy research markets.

Bruker Dimension FastScan - a Breakthrough in AFM Technology (Photo: Business Wire)

Stimulated by the ever-increasing demand to observe and better understand materials at the nanoscale, the newest member of the world’s most widely utilized AFM platform features numerous technological innovations to enable a perfect balance of fast scan speeds, high image resolution and accuracy. Based upon the highly successful Dimension Icon® AFM architecture, the FastScan AFM is a tip-scanning system that provides measurements on both large and small size samples in air or fluids.

“Dimension FastScan realizes one of Bruker’s goals for AFM technology, which is to enable our customers to be more productive without losing resolution or flexibility. Achieving highest quality images in such amazingly short times is a breakthrough experience,” said Mark R. Munch, Ph.D., President of the Bruker Nano Surfaces Division. He continued: “With over thirty-eight patents fueling its breakthroughs, FastScan provides researchers the unique ability to use atomic force microscopy for new applications requiring higher scanning speeds that previously just were not available on a research-grade AFM.”

“Dimension FastScan represents our continued commitment to the scientific community by providing access to nanoscale information more efficiently,” added David V. Rossi, Vice President and General Manager of Bruker’s AFM Business. “Our new FastScan, in conjunction with other recent Bruker AFM technological breakthroughs, such as ScanAsyst™ and PeakForce QNM™, delivers significant improvements in productivity as well as enabling techniques that provide new quantitative information at the nanoscale, and that make AFMs easier to use by academia and industry alike.”

About FastScan

The Dimension FastScan system utilizes a revolutionary XYZ closed-loop head that scans at high-speed rates while delivering extremely low drift and low noise to make AFM easier to use and more productive for all users. These features combine to drastically cut stabilization times, allowing the system to acquire artifact-free data hundreds of times faster than is possible with any other AFM on the market. A new fast scanner, a high-resolution camera, as well as automated laser and detector alignment, and integrated feedback alignment tools deliver faster probe positioning and sample navigation, thus allowing users to more easily locate features of interest. Finally, the software offers an intuitive workflow, while default experiment modes distill advanced AFM processes into preconfigured settings. Whether using the Icon scanner with ultra-low noise and high accuracy to render sub-nanometer resolution and