Park SmartScan is a revolutionary operating software for Park AFMs that lets even inexperienced, untrained users produce high quality nanoscale imaging through three simple clicks of a mouse in auto mode, which rivals that made by experts using conventional techniques. SmartScan manual mode also provides all of the functions and tools necessary for more seasoned users to feel at home. This combination of extreme versatility, ease-of-use, and quality makes SmartScan the best AFM operating software available.
Most AFMs require complicated operation by the user. Park SmartScan doesn't. All that's needed from the user are three automated clicks, with animated instructions for setup anyone can understand. But if you want more control, the system offers a comprehensive set of functions and parameter settings.
A small window appears that guides you through animation how to set the instrument and place the sample for imaging. Typically this takes only few minutes.
The system automatically performs the frequency sweep for the cantilever, approaches the Z-stage to the sample, and auto focuses the sample allowing the user to see and navigate the area of interest for imaging.
The system sets all the necessary parameters for optimum setting, then engages the cantilever and starts scanning the sample. It continues to scan until the image is acquired and completed.
The cantilever will disengage from the sample, and ready for the next sample imaging.
SmartScan Auto performs all the necessary operations for imaging and intelligently decides on the optimum image quality and scan speed, all autonomously. SmartScan Auto is made possible by Park’s proprietary enabling technologies. That saves you time, money, and makes for a better end result.
With the SmartScan UI and layout, everything is at your fingertips. A large optical window provides easy access to a view of the laser reflection, the tip, sample, laser PSPD alignment, and controls for XY stage and Z stage movements. It also allows you to easily control the vision, the XY stage, Z stage, light strength, and more with the scroll of a mouse. Command up to 8 individual trace-lines, or channels, at once (e.g. topography, EFM, amplitude, and scan rate) and conveniently save custom trace-line profiles. Users may also plot any two signal channels on the same real-time dual-axis graph for comprehensive analysis.
At a click of a button, the Z scanner approaches the sample automatically and at a much higher speed than a typical manual approach. Park's unique FastApproach™ safely takes the probe down to the sample surface at full speed without requiring the user's intervention and engages just 10 seconds after loading the cantilever.
After probe-to-surface engagement, the optical camera will automatically focus on the sample to find your region of interest (ROI). The UX of SmartScan™ easily enables intuitive navigation of the sample by controlling the motorized stages in the integrated optical window. You can move to the ROI directly by clicking the desired position in the optical window.
All you need to specify for AFM imaging are pixel density and scan size. Outside of those factors, you can leave all sophisticated AFM parameters up to the Auto mode of SmartScan™. The system will start a measurement with optimized conditions for imaging automatically at the click of a button.
Park's innovative AdaptiveScan™ controls the scan speed automatically based on the peaks and valleys of the sample surface. AdaptiveScan™ adjusts the optimum scan speed dynamically to acquire a quality image of an unknown morphology at a higher speed. This effectually shortens the imaging time while retaining top image quality comparable to that obtained by a well-trained expert manually. When moving to neighboring locations or zooming-in to a target, AdaptiveScan automatically applies a new optimal condition.