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Welcome to Park Systems’ Q1, 2011 Newsletter                         tweeterfacebook

In this Issue: Featured Application Featured Product News and Events  Upcoming Exhibitions  Images from Crosstalk Eliminated (XE) AFM

Featured Application

Polymer Pen Lithography (PPL)

Nanoscale patterning of chemically functional materials on a substrate is a very important, yet challenging, subject and has many applications in the areas of medical diagnostics, electronic devices, and nano sensors. A new AFM-based nanolithography process promises to speed up the “printing” of nanoscale patterns. Polymer Pen Lithography (PPL), invented by Prof. Chad Mirkin group at Northwestern University, is a low-cost, high-throughput direct patterning method to generate micro- and nanoarrays of chemicals on an underlying substrate. By simply changing contact pressure and the time of delivery, dots of various diameters can be produced. The unique AFM platform of Park Systems’ XE Technology with decoupled XY and Z scanners enable a very flat and linear XY scan over a large area, less than 2 nm out-of-plane motions over 100 µm x 100 µm and less than 10 nm out-of-plane motions over 400 µm x 400 µm.  Therefore, precise control of a contact force and a contact time can be made with the flat and linear XY scan. With long range Z scan movement, it can also realize a wide dynamic range in pattern size from 50 nm to 25 µm.

Featured Product

XE-Bio: Cell Discovery Like Never Before

XE-Bioprovides the most detailed and integrated information on nanoscale biological surfaces available today, enabling breakthrough research on single live cells by connecting their detailed structural features to cellular functions. Distinguished researchers from Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins University, NIH and other major universities and research institutes expressed interest in the versatile use of ICM; ICM is the only non-invasive in-liquid scanning probe technique that does not apply any force over its sample surface, making it ideal for nanoscale imaging of soft cellular membranes. The ICM also enables localized functional studies on single live cells, including functional mapping on membrane features in high resolution.

Click here for the detailed product information.

News and Events

XE-150 Contributes to Researchers to Develop New Hard-tip, Soft-spring Lithography (HSL) Method

Suwon, South Korea, Feb. 14, 2011 - The XE-150 atomic force microscope from Park Systems was featured in a recent Nature article, entitled “Hard-tip, Soft-spring, Lithography.” Nature is a premier publication that disseminates recent scientific advancements from across the disciplines. As described in the article, researchers at Northwestern University’s International Institute for Nanotechnology, headed by Professor Chad A. Mirkin, have developed a new technique for printing nanoscale structures cheaply, quickly, and in large batches. The process, called Hard-tip, Soft-spring Lithography (HSL), combines the high resolution of scanning-probe nanolithography with the low cost and high throughput of contact printing methods.  Added Dr. Young-Kook (Ryan) Yoo, VP of Global Sales and Marketing at Park Systems, “Developing a potential hard-tip, soft-spring lithography method is great news to Park Systems, the users of our high-performance XE technologies, and the wider lithography-imaging community, offering enhanced potential to interrogate nanoscale environments with accuracy, sensitivity and functionality.” He noted that HSL could be used to develop new approaches to medical diagnostics, pharmaceutical development, printable circuits, and other emerging nanoscale technologies. 

Click here to see the Nature's article
Click here for the rest of the news article.


Park Systems Released an Informative and Educational Video Entitled “How AFM Works”

Suwon, South Korea, Jan. 21, 2011 - Park Systems, the AFM technology leader and preferred nanotechnology research and industrial solutions partner, recently released an informative video, entitled “How AFM Works,” to support and educate clients as they research atomic force microscopy (AFM). “This flash animation helps students and teachers learn the principles of atomic force microscopy and the various modes of scanning probe microscopy,” said Dr. Ryan Yoo, the Vice President of Park Systems Corporation. The video demonstrates how AFM is used to explore the structures of nanomaterials with advanced AFM modes and Park Systems’ Crosstalk Elimination (XE) technology.

Click here to see the video


Park Systems Presented 3D AFM Solutions at the SPIE 2011 Meeting

San Jose, USA, Mar. 02, 2011 - Park Systems presented 3D AFM Solutions at the SPIE Scanning Microscopy 2011 Meeting in San Jose, California (USA) on March 2nd, 2011 (Metrology, Inspection, and Process Control for Microlithography XXV, Session 10, Ctr Ballroom A1 1:20PM). Dr. Yueming Hua, a Park Systems’ US Applications Scientist based in Santa Clara, CA, have discussed recent 3D AFM developments pertaining to sidewall imaging and sidewall roughness measurements. Dr. Hua’s talk, entitled “Advanced 3D Metrology with the Crosstalk Eliminated (XE) Atomic Force Microscopy,” addressed techniques that overcome the resolution limitations observed in previous “flared tip” 3D AFM approaches. In conjunction with non-contact AFM imaging from Park Systems, 3D AFM offers an ideal solution for critical metrology measurements of photoresists and other soft materials. After the meeting, Dr. Hua commented “One thing I’ve noticed from the conference is that many people are starting to notice how important non-contact AFM is for their lithometrology applications. I am excited about the 3D (AFM) system.It is a unique design which provides a real solution for the challenging problems of measuring sidewalls and undercuts.” 


Dr. Sang-il Park, Founder and CEO of Park Systems, Will Give an Invited Talk at the Diskcon Asia 2011

Bangkok, Thailand, Mar. 07, 2011 - Dr. Sang-il Park, founder and CEO of Park Systems, will give an invited talk at Diskcon Asia Pacific 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand. The talk, entitled "Advanced Media and Substrate Inspection by True Non-Contact Atomic Force Microscope", will discuss the advantages of using non-contact AFM rather than tapping mode AFM in HDD media and substrate. His talk will cover the design concept of the crosstalk eliminated (XE) AFM which utilized to support a couple of advanced applications in HDD media and substrate inspection: automatic defect review AFM that automatically goes to the defect location and images the defects mapped from an optical inspection tool, and sub-Angstrom surface roughness control where the most accurate roughness measurement can be obtained for the flattest of the substrate and media with measurement variation below sub-Angstrom.

Upcoming Exhibitions

Biophysical Society 55th Annual Meeting, March 05~05, 2011, Baltimore, USA

Park Systems is a proud official sponsor of the Opening Reception for the Biophysical Society’s 55th Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD from March 5th to 9th, 2011. Come visit us at Booth 346 to see the XE-Bio, the new bio AFM for live cell imaging, a powerful 3-in-1 microscope that combines industry’s only True Non-Contact AFM, Ion Conductance Microscope (ICM), and inverted optical microscope into one instrument.   See the latest product options and applications in live cell imaging and learn about non-invasive, high resolution, in-liquid imaging technique for live cells. More information about the XE-Bio will be available at Park Systems’ booth.

APS March Meeting 2011, March 21~25, 2011, Dallas, USA

Park Systems, the preferred nanotechnology solutions partner for the most accurate AFM results, will exhibit at the 2011 APS March Meeting in Dallas, Texas from Mar. 21st to 25th. Please come and visit us at Booth #502 to learn our wide range of research AFM products. We will display the all new XE-100 Plus, the Park Systems’ flagship AFM, with a motorized sample stage for Step-and-Scan Automation and improved drift rates.  Also, find out more about the XE-150, our premier cross-functional AFM with motorized sample stage, and the XE-Bio, our new AFM for live cell imaging with Ion Conductance Microscopy (ICM).  All the XE-series of products feature artifact free imaging by Crosstalk Elimination (XE), True Non-Contact mode, and the ultimate in AFM resolution.

ACS Spring Meeting 2011, March 27~31, 2011, Anaheim, USA

Park Systems, the preferred nanotechnology solutions partner for the most accurate AFM results, cordially invites you to visit our booth (# 411) at the 2011 American Chemical Society Spring Meeting in Anaheim, CA, USA (March 27th-31st). The exhibition will take place at the Anaheim Convention and Exhibition Center, Ballrooms Rooms 201-213, 303 & 304. Please, stop by our booth to learn our wide range of research AFM products. We will display the all new XE-100 Plus, the Park Systems’ flagship AFM, with a motorized sample stage for Step-and-Scan Automation and improved drift rates.  Also, find out more about the XE-150, our premier cross-functional AFM with motorized sample stage, and the XE-Bio, our new AFM for live cell imaging with Ion Conductance Microscopy (ICM). All the XE-series of products feature artifact free imaging by Crosstalk Elimination (XE) and non-destructive scan by True Non-Contact mode.

MRS Spring Meeting 2011, April 25~29, 2011, San Francisco, USA

Park systems is a proud official sponsor for the MRS Spring Meeting 2011 in San Francisco, CA, USA from April 25thto  29th, 2011. Please visit our booth and learn about our award-winning XE-100, which provides artifact-free imaging via Crosstalk Elimination (XE) and offers the ultimate in AFM resolution with True Non-Contact mode. Also, find out more about the XE-150, our premier cross-functional AFM with motorized sample stage, and the XE-Bio, our new AFM for live cell imaging with Ion Conductance Microscopy (ICM). 

Images from Crosstalk Eliminated (XE) AFM

Ion channel identification by localized patch clamp with XE-Bio

201102-q1-images-from-crosstalk-eliminated-xe-afm

Ventricular cardiomyocyte (optical image on the bottom is well known for its T tubules on the sarcolemma structure. In buffer solution, rat's ventricular cardiomyocyte is imaged by XE-Bio using Ion Conductance Microscopy (ICM) while maintaining cell's living condition. T-tubules of the sarcolemma is well identified from the ICM image (top-left), and a location for patch clamp is chosen from the ICM image to increase the probability to find ion channels. Ion channel activity was monitored at the marked position (red circle in the top-left image) using the same ICM nano-pipette after making a giga-ohm seal to the cell membrane (tip-right chart). After successive monitoring of the channel activity (not shown here), it was expected to be an inwardly rectifying potassium (IRK) channel.

Click hereto see more images from Crosstalk Eliminated (XE) AFMs

For further inquiries please contact us via info@parkafm.com