This a short video in .avi format, viewable in a PC, e.g. with RealPlayer or MS MediaPlayer.It’s about 900kB.
The frames are screenshots taken during a nanomanipulation operation with an AutoProbe CP AFM using the Probe Control Software we have developed. The central windows are the most important. One shows a grey-scale topographic image obtained in non-contact Dynamic Force Microscopy (DFM) mode. A user draws a red vector over one of the particles. The window below shows a single line scan taken along the trajectory defined by the vector. In successive frames, the user moves the vector so as to obtain a maximum peak in the single line scan of the particle. This is a technique for searching for the centre of the particle, and is necessary because of drift — the particle is no longer in the position shown in the topography image because it drifted between the time the image was taken and the vector was drawn.
After the correct position is found, the user sets two marks on the line scan, corresponding to the points where the z feedback is going to be turned off and on. Clicking on the ‘Push’ button on the right panel, causes the pushing action to be executed. The result is immediately seen in the single line scan image. Two pushing events are recorded. This technique is the most commonly used in our lab for nanomanipulation.
