SmartSPM

The HORIBA SmartSPM is a high-performance scanning probe microscope (SPM/AFM) optimized for ultra-low-noise operation and advanced nanoscale surface characterization. Originally developed by AIST-NT and now part of HORIBA’s SPM product portfolio, the SmartSPM features a scanner design with extremely low thermal drift and mechanical stability, making it suitable for long-duration experiments and imaging of sensitive biological and soft matter samples that require minimal tip-sample interaction. The SmartSPM uses a compact, low-noise scanner with short mechanical loop for minimal vibration transmission, combined with a closed-loop positioning system for accurate and reproducible positioning across the scan range. A key feature of the SmartSPM is its compatibility with a wide range of AFM cantilever types and measurement modes: standard amplitude modulation (tapping mode), frequency modulation (FM-AFM) for atomic resolution in vacuum or liquid, phase imaging for compositional contrast, Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) for surface potential mapping, magnetic force microscopy (MFM), electrical force microscopy (EFM), and conductive AFM (C-AFM) for current mapping. The system is also compatible with HORIBA’s OmegaScope for integration with confocal Raman and TERS measurement in an AFM-Raman combined configuration. The SmartSPM is suitable for imaging in ambient air, controlled gas, or liquid environments, covering applications from standard materials surface characterization to liquid-phase AFM of biological samples (DNA, membranes, proteins). NewRoad provides the HORIBA SmartSPM in Israel for academic research and industrial nanoscale characterization applications.