Towards a Fully Automated Scanning Probe Microscope for Biomedical Applications.

The increase in capabilities of Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) has resulted in a parallel increase in complexity that limits the use of this technique outside of specialised research laboratories. SPM automation could substantially expand its application domain, improve reproducibility and increase throughput. Here, we present a bottom-up design in which the combination of positioning stages, orientation, and detection of the probe produces an SPM design compatible with full automation.