Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: JPK reports on the developments of high resolution imaging in the group of Takeshi Fukuma at Kanazawa University in Japan

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Professor Takeshi Fukuma of Kanazawa University in Japan working with the JPK NanoWizard® AFM system

Abstract:
JPK Instruments, a world-leading manufacturer of nanoanalytic instrumentation for research in life sciences and soft matter, reports on how researchers from Kanazawa University in Japan have used the NanoWizard®3 AFM to push the boundaries of high resolution imaging on large objects.

JPK reports on the developments of high resolution imaging in the group of Takeshi Fukuma at Kanazawa University in Japan

Berlin, Germany | Posted on July 30th, 2013

Professor Takeshi Fukuma runs a research group in the Division of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science at Kanazawa University in Japan. The Fukuma Laboratory focuses on molecular-scale analysis and measurements of biological phenomena using atomic force microscopy, AFM.

Describing his work, Professor Fukuma said "I work on the development of atomic-scale AFM instruments and techniques. While some of the state-of-the-art AFMs exhibit very high spatial resolution, their application range has been limited to simple materials of small sample size. I would like to improve the applicability of the atomic-scale AFM and use it for the practical investigations in broader academic and industrial areas. AFM has a unique capability of atomic-scale resolution imaging even with a simple setup. I want a system that is simple and compact so that it may be expanded easily. This means that in our laboratory-level facility, we can easily modify the setup and explore new possibilities. In addition, nanoscale measurement technique provided by AFM is one of the fundamental research tools. Thus, its improvement may lead to the progress in many research fields. Such a high impact of the technique is one of the reasons for me to work on AFM development."

Continuing, he said, "I chose the NanoWizard® AFM from JPK because it is well designed to be combined with optical microscopes. This combination provides an excellent optical view to align the tip position over a large sample. This capability is very important to achieve our research goal. We wanted to perform high-resolution imaging with JPK's AFM and to obtain this performance even on large samples. For me, the main advantage of the NanoWizard system is the good combination with an inverted optical microscope. Initially, I thought it was important only for biology. But, after I started to use it, I found it is also useful for various other applications. For example, we have used it for estimating the age of rocks by imaging nanoscale cracks created by the decay of uranium. In this application, we needed to have good optical view to align the AFM tip to the surface of a small particle."

For more details about JPK's NanoWizard® and applications for the bio & nano sciences, please contact JPK on +49 30533112070, visit the web site: www.jpk.com or see more on Facebook: www.jpk.com/facebook and on You Tube: www.youtube.com/jpkinstruments.

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About JPK Instruments
JPK Instruments AG is a world-leading manufacturer of nanoanalytic instruments - particularly atomic force microscope (AFM) systems and optical tweezers - for a broad range of applications reaching from soft matter physics to nano-optics, from surface chemistry to cell and molecular biology. From its earliest days applying atomic force microscope (AFM) technology, JPK has recognized the opportunities provided by nanotechnology for transforming life sciences and soft matter research. This focus has driven JPK's success in uniting the worlds of nanotechnology tools and life science applications by offering cutting-edge technology and unique applications expertise. Headquartered in Berlin and with direct operations in Dresden, Cambridge (UK), Singapore, Tokyo and Paris (France), JPK maintains a global network of distributors and support centers and provides on the spot applications and service support to an ever-growing community of researchers.

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