title: A convenient and rapid sample repositioning approach for atomic force microscopy.
abstract: A novel repositioning approach is described for repeated observations of a specimen at a close proximal location in the atomic force microscope. The approach is similar to keystone architecture, whereby the repositioning is achieved by forming a male structured base for the specimen, and a corresponding female counterpart as the frame. For the combination of an acrylic acid frame and a metal base, 90% translation shifts are less than 10 microm, and almost all angular disorientations are within +3 degrees to -3 degrees . Nanometre-scale surface features can be relocated easily and reliably even after 40 imaging-removal-imaging cycles, dipping the specimen in solutions or heating up to 500 degrees C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Institute for Nanotechnology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Dravid
mesh_terms: D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013499:Surface Properties