Preparing For Operation; Preparing And Installing The Sample - NT-MDT NTEGRA Spectra Instruction Manual

3. Preparing for Operation

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ATTENTION! Familiarize with the manual NTEGRA Spectra Probe
NanoLaboratory (Upright Configuration) before starting operation with the
SNOM measuring head.
Preparation of the instrument for operation includes the following operations:
1. Preparing and Installing the Aperture Probe (sect. 3.2 on p. 26).
3. Installing the Probe Holder (sect. 3.3 on p. 28).
4. Installing the Measuring Head (sect. 3.4 on p. 28).
5. Launching the Control Program (sect. 3.7 on p. 33).
6. Preliminary Approaching and Selecting Scan Area (sect. 3.5 on p. 30).
7. Primary Adjusting the Detection Channel (sect. 3.6 on p. 31).
8. Adjusting the Optical Cantilever Deflection Detection System (sect. 3.8 on p. 34).
These operations will be explained in details below.

3.1. Preparing and Installing the Sample

The instrument allows for measuring samples of 5÷18 mm in diameter and up to
1.5 mm in thickness. For mounting the sample, non-magnetic metallic substrates
(Fig. 3-1) are used. A substrate is a rectangle with an internal orifice of diameter 5, 10, or
15 mm. The substrate with the sample mounted on it is placed in the hollow sample
holder (Fig. 3-2) that is fixed in the magnetic fastener of the scanner.
Fig. 3-1. Substrates
To prepare and install the sample, perform the following steps:
1. Prepare a clean metal substrate of diameter close to diameter of the sample. Cut off a
strip of a double-sided adhesive tape, slightly wider in size than the sample.
2. Stick the adhesive tape to the substrate, smooth its surface out with the back of the
tweezers to remove air bubbles between the substrate and the adhesive tape. Remove
the portion of the tape inside the substrate orifice.
Chapter 3. Preparing for Operation
Fig. 3-2. Hollow sample holder
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