Manufacturer: Aspex
Model: Explorer
Description: A focused beam of electrons to produces a high resolution image of a sample in the range of a few nanometers, as well as other signals containing topographical and compositional information.
Key Features: 2-25 kV e-beam, equipped with a secondary electron detector, quad back scatter electron detectors, x-ray detector, variable pressure mode allows imaging of some insulating samples.
Material Restrictions: Clean, dry, low-outgassing substrates, must be stable under mechanical vacuum, sputter coating of insulating samples may be necessary.

​General Information: A scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a high power microscope which utilizes a column of electrons to image a sample. Secondary and back-scattered electrons ejected by the sample are collected by a detector to form an image. Many SEM's are also able to determine the composition of a sample using an x-ray detector (EDS).​

Manufacturer: Olympus
Model: Fluoview FV10i
Description: Solid-state laser diodes with four different excitation wavelengths are absorbed by the sample, and the resulting optical fluorescence is collected thru a confocal aperture by photomultiplier tubes.  As the lasers scans across the sample a fluorescent image is created.
Key Features: 450 nm, 535 nm, 570 nm, and 620 nm laser lines, equipped with a 10x and 60x oil-immersion objective lenses, photomultiplier tube fluorescent photon detectors, and a fully enclosed, vibration isolated bench-mount system. 2-D images, multiple Z-stack 3-D images, z-stack over time, and multiple-area imaging modes.
​Material Restrictions: Samples must fluoresce when excited by the laser wavelengths.  Samples must be mounted on standard 1 x 3 microscope slides with #1.5 coverslips.  Sample cells can be living or fixed.  Many natural materials autofluoresce, while others will require a fluorescent stain that can highlight specific cell structures.

​General Information: A laser scanning confocal microscope is primarily used to image biological samples. A laser irradiates the sample, and the resulting fluorescent photons are collected to from an image. Confocal microscopes can take image "slices" which can be stitched together to make a 3D picture.​

Manufacturer: Bruker
Model: DektakXT
Instrument Type: Profilometer
Description: Surface contact profilometer equipped with a 2.0 µm radius stylus.  The stylus runs over the sample, and is deflected by height changes in the sample surface topology.  An electronic capacitive sensing mechanism detects tip height changes.
Key Features: 2.0 µm diamond-tip stylus.  Z-Resolution as low as 5 Å, x-y scan sizes up to 55 mm x 55 mm.  Linear step height scans, and 3D stitching capability.  Equipped with a NIST-certified reference standard.
​Material Restrictions: Samples must be dry and locally flat to a couple of millimeters.  Sample stage is 22 cm x 22 cm.  Sample material must be mechanically robust to prevent the tip from scratching the sample surface.

​General Information: A profilometer is primarily used to measure step heights in the micron and nanometer size range. A stylus is moved over the sample. As it traces across the surface, the movement up and down is recorded as height.​

Manufacturer: NanoSurf
Model: EasyScan 2
Description: Used to characterize topographical and material properties using a cantilever and measuring its deflection with a laser while scanning over the sample surface in one of several modes.
Key Features: High resolution 3D topographical imaging w/ a range of 70 μm-xy, Z 14 μm-z and resolution of 1.1 nm-xy, 0.21 nm-z.
Modes: Contact modes: Static Force, Constant Force, Constant Height; Tapping Modes: Contrast Dynamic Force, Constant Amplitude, Constant Frequency, Phase Contrast.
​Materials Restrictions: Samples must be locally flat to within 500 nm and must fit on a standard 12.7 mm AFM puck.

​General Information: An atomic force microscope (AFM) can resolve features down to 1 nm or below. AFM's work by moving a tip across the surface of a sample and measuring the deflections of the tip though a feedback loop. The famous IBM Quantum Corral and the video A Boy and His Atom were created using an instrument similar to an AFM.