PeakForce Tapping Gains Rapid Adoption as Revolutionary AFM Mode

Bruker announced today at the 2012 Materials Research Society (MRS) Fall Meeting that its exclusive PeakForce Tapping™ technology has recently surpassed the 100 peer-reviewed publication mark. This rate of adoption is even greater than Bruker’s TappingMode™, which since its launch in the early 1990s, has been considered the primary imaging mode of scanning probe microscopy. PeakForce Tapping is the enabling technology behind Bruker’s suite of proprietary imaging modes that are bringing unprecedented atomic resolution imaging and ease of use to quantitative nanomechanical and nanoelectrical AFM characterization in biological and material science applications.

“By applying a precisely controlled, extremely low force response curve at every pixel, PeakForce Tapping protects both fragile probes and samples with no decrease in image resolution,” said Mark R. Munch, Ph.D., President, Bruker MAT Group and Bruker Nano Surfaces Division. “This benefits our customers in many ways, from being able to use AFM with a broader range of samples and achieve true atomic resolution to our patented ScanAsyst®, which automatically and continuously monitors image quality and makes the appropriate parameter adjustments.”

“More and more PeakForce Tapping technology is becoming a core building block for advanced mechanical, electrical, and chemical nano-characterization,” added David V. Rossi, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Bruker's AFM Business. “We are further functionalizing this technology through packages such as PeakForce QNM®, which leverages the force response data of PeakForce Tapping to obtain quantitative nanomechanical information over a wide range. Other recent enhancements based on this technology include advanced conductivity mapping with PeakForce TUNA™ and surface potential mapping with PeakForce KPFM™. Only Bruker AFMs give users full access to these powerful new capabilities.”

About PeakForce Tapping

Through precise measurement technology and force control algorithms PeakForce Tapping permits the use of reduced imaging forces, protecting both fragile probes and samples, and increasing image resolution. In PeakForce Tapping, a force-distance curve is obtained at every pixel in an image; PeakForce QNM analyzes this data real time to obtain quantitative nanomechanical information. ScanAsyst automates PeakForce Tapping, saving time and effort for all AFM users. PeakForce Tapping has also been integrated into several electrical characterization modes, allowing users to investigate electrical properties simultaneously with nanomechanical characteristics and topography.

About Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR)

Bruker Corporation is a leading provider of high-performance scientific instruments and solutions for molecular and materials research, as well as for industrial and applied analysis. For more information about Bruker Corporation, please visit www.bruker.com.