Dec. 1, 2006 — Agilent Technologies announced the introduction of the Agilent 5400 AFM/SPM system, a high-precision instrument offering atomic resolution for a variety of research, industry and teaching applications.

The system is designed to be easy to use and affordable in order to appeal to a broad audience.

The modular system is intended to be used for applications in materials science, polymers, general surface characterization and nanolithography. The system also can be easily upgraded to the premier Agilent 5500 AFM/SPM.

Several features of the Agilent 5400 are intended to simplify its use. The scanner has quick-install nose cones, resulting in convenient switching of imaging modes; a scanner that snaps into place; open access to the sample plates; and simple alignment of optics. The system’s software, PicoView, is a new design with streamlined GUIs for intuitive operation.

To increase its appeal as a teaching instrument, Agilent is including undergraduate curriculum materials with each system. Jayne C. Garno, assistant professor of chemistry at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., where the system underwent beta testing, said undergraduates were already operating the system. “It proved to be a serious scientific instrument with outstanding resolution, yet has an intuitive and user-friendly software interface,” she said in a prepared statement.