Anasys Instruments announces the release of the nanoIR2™, the second generation of AFM-based IR spectroscopy.

Anasys Instruments is proud to announce the nanoIR2™, a second generation AFM based IR spectroscopy (AFM-IR) platform. A key breakthrough is the ability of the nanoIR2 to operate with top-side illumination, eliminating the prior need to prepare samples on a ZnSe prism and enabling measurements on a much more diverse set of samples. AFM-IR measurements have now been demonstrated on a broad range of samples including semiconductor devices, thin films, nanocomposites, data storage samples, minerals, tissue sections and polymer blends. Additionally, the nanoIR2 provides the new resonance-enhanced mode which significantly increases the sensitivity of the technique and enables AFM-IR measurements on samples of sub-20nm in thickness.

"We heard from customers they needed simplified sample preparation and the ability to measure samples in-situ. We listened and the nanoIR2 is the result," explains Doug Gotthard, Director of Engineering at Anasys and leader of the nanoIR2 project team. Dr. Curt Marcott, scientific advisor to Anasys and former President of the Society of Applied Spectroscopy added, "The nanoIR2 vastly expands the range of applications for AFM-IR due to elimination of the prism based sample preparation. This will further add to the success of the technique in solving industrial problems as well as providing a powerful tool for nanoscale chemical analysis in academia." Anasys CTO Dr. Craig Prater added "The new nanoIR2 incorporates new patented technologies that provide improved sensitivity as well. With our new "resonance enhanced mode" we've demonstrated the ability to obtain high quality IR spectra from polymer films as thin as 20 nm,"

The nanoIR2 system combines the nanoscale spatial resolution capabilities of a powerful full-featured atomic force microscope (AFM) with infrared spectroscopy's unrivalled ability for chemical characterization and identification. It provides spectra that demonstrate excellent correlation with bulk FTIR spectra and can be imported into standard FTIR databases for sample component identification. Users of the nanoIR2 platform can quickly survey regions of a sample via AFM and then rapidly acquire high-resolution chemical spectra at the selected regions or acquire high-resolution chemical images at a fixed wavelength. Mechanical and thermal properties, such as local thermal transitions, may also be mapped with nanoscale resolution.

The nanoIR2 system is the result of several million dollars of government and private investment. Anasys Instruments has been awarded research grants from the NIST Advanced Technology Program, National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE) and the Joint Technology Office (JTO) within the Department of Defense (DOD). The technology is protected by multiple U.S. and foreign patents.

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