Efimov Anton E, Agapov Igor I, Agapova Olga I, Oleinikov Vladimir A, Mezin Alexey V, Molinari Michael, Nabiev Igor, Mochalov Konstantin E
Laboratory of Bionanotechology, V.I. Shumakov Federal Research Center of Transplantology and Artificial Organs, Shchukinskaya St., 1, 123182 Moscow, Russia.
Laboratory of Nano-Bioengineering, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute), Kashirskoe shosse, 31, 115409 Moscow, Russia.
Rev Sci Instrum. 2017 Feb;88(2):023701. doi: 10.1063/1.4975202.
We present a new concept of a combined scanning probe microscope (SPM)/ultramicrotome apparatus. It enables "slice-and-view" scanning probe nanotomography measurements and 3D reconstruction of the bulk sample nanostructure from series of SPM images after consecutive ultrathin sections. The sample is fixed on a flat XYZ scanning piezostage mounted on the ultramicrotome arm. The SPM measuring head with a cantilever tip and a laser-photodiode tip detection system approaches the sample for SPM measurements of the block-face surface immediately after the ultramicrotome sectioning is performed. The SPM head is moved along guides that are also fixed on the ultramicrotome arm. Thereby, relative dysfunctional displacements of the tip, the sample, and the ultramicrotome knife are minimized. The design of the SPM head enables open frontal optical access to the sample block-face adapted for high-resolution optical lenses for correlative SPM/optical microscopy applications. The new system can be used in a wide range of applications for the study of 3D nanostructures of biological objects, biomaterials, polymer nanocomposites, and nanohybrid materials in various SPM and optical microscopy measuring modes.
我们提出了一种新型的组合式扫描探针显微镜（SPM）/超薄切片机装置的概念。它能够进行“切片并观察”的扫描探针纳米断层扫描测量，并根据连续超薄切片后的一系列SPM图像对块状样品的纳米结构进行三维重建。样品固定在安装在超薄切片机臂上的平面XYZ扫描压电平台上。在进行超薄切片后，带有悬臂尖端和激光 - 光电二极管尖端检测系统的SPM测量头立即靠近样品，以对块表面进行SPM测量。SPM头沿着同样固定在超薄切片机臂上的导轨移动。由此，尖端、样品和超薄切片机刀的相对功能失调位移被最小化。SPM头的设计使得能够从正面开放地对样品块表面进行光学访问，适用于用于相关SPM/光学显微镜应用的高分辨率光学透镜。该新系统可用于多种应用，以研究生物物体、生物材料、聚合物纳米复合材料和纳米杂化材料在各种SPM和光学显微镜测量模式下的三维纳米结构。
