Combined AFM Raman
Complementary Technologies for a Wealth of Nanoscale Information
Extend your nanoscale studies by combining Raman microscopy with AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy). The Renishaw inVia integrates completely with Bruker AFM to provide an enormous wealth of information, from mechanical to electrical properties to chemical ID or structural information, taking your material characterisation to a new level. Combining these technologies gives you nanometre-scale chemical resolution, and reveals a range of complementary information.
- Access unique information about your sample that may otherwise be hidden.
- Save time by utilising two or more techniques with just a single instrument.
- No need to transfer your sample.
- Ensure that you are analysing exactly the same point with both techniques.
As partners of both Renishaw and Bruker in the Nordic region (Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark), Blue Scientific offer the complete, combined system, along with any accessories you need. We are available to advise on the solution that would best suit your application. Contact us for a quote, or to discuss your research application.
Contact us for more information and quotes:
+44 (0)1223 422 269 or info@blue-scientific.com
AFM topography (left) and TERS (right) image of carbon nanotubes
Renishaw inVia Raman brochure Bruker AFM-Raman brochure
Example Images
For further examples and to find out if AFM-Raman is suitable for your application, please contact us.
Graphene flakes characterised by co-localized AFM and Raman spectroscopy. Only Bruker’s exclusive PeakForce QNM technology gives unambiguous information beyond Raman, while highest resolution PeakForce KPFM pinpoints origin of property variation as the most quantitative approach.
PeakForce QNM modulus image and Raman map of a polystyrene/polypropylene structure (polystyrene in green, polypropylene in red). Variations in material properties are shown to correspond with chemical composition. The quantitative nanomechanical information in the modulus image to effectively serves as a higher resolution chemical map.
TERS: Tip-Enhanced Raman Scattering
Depending on the AFM you choose, inVia-AFM systems can perform tip enhanced Raman scattering (TERS). This technique uses a sharp plasmonic tip to obtain chemical information at the nanometre scale. TERS mapping particularly complements Renishaw’s StreamLine™ and StreamHR™ technology, giving you the flexibility to study samples at different resolutions:
- StreamLine™ – Fast, large area Raman mapping, with high spatial resolution, even for inhomogenous samples.
- StreamHR™ – High resolution Raman mapping with oversampling, for maximum detail.
Left: AFM measurement position
Right: Raman measurement position
Perfect Alignment
The Renishaw inVia integrates with the AFM via a specially designed flexible coupling arm. This uses mirrors to direct light, which is more efficient than fibre optic coupling. Acquire spectra faster, with higher signal-to-noise.
Using an inbuilt video with white light illumination, you can see both the probe tip and the Raman laser spot together, for perfect alignment every time. This is particularly important for TERS. Acquire Raman and AFM data simultaneously from precisely the same point on the sample, without having to move it. This guarantees that your data is consistent, even if your sample changes over time.
Combined or Independent
While the two technologies are combined in a single instrument, the Raman and AFM systems can also be operated independently by different users, even at the same time. There is no compromise to the performance of either; what you have is:
- A Raman system
- An SPM/AFM system
- A combined Raman-SPM/AFM system
AFM and Raman Configurations
The Renishaw inVia integrates seamlessly with these atomic force microscopes from Bruker:
Bruker Innova-IRIS
- AFM-Raman system for TERS and material science research
- High-contrast IRIS TERS probes, only available from Bruker
- Applications: Materials research, nanoparticles, graphene
Bruker BioScope Resolve
- Inverted optical microscope configuration for transparent samples and life science applications
- Applications from single molecule DNA and protein studies, to cell biology
Bruker Dimension Icon
- High-performance, research-grade instrument
- Most advanced capabilities using PeakForce QNM and ScanAsyst
- Applications: Materials research and development, polymers, composites, semiconductors
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