NX-Hivac is a high-vacuum atomic force microscope (AFM) engineered for advanced semiconductor and materials research, enabling precise nanoscale analysis of air-sensitive samples. By providing clean and stable measurement conditions, the NX-Hivac has established itself as a trusted platform in both academic and industrial laboratories.
At the core of the NX-Hivac are Park’s proprietary orthogonal scan system and True Non-contact™ mode, enhanced by high-vacuum capability. Together, these technologies protect delicate samples and enable accurate characterization of topographical, mechanical, and electrical properties that are not achievable under ambient or dry nitrogen (N₂) conditions.
From semiconductor devices to air-sensitive materials, the NX-Hivac delivers consistent performance and reliable results. With support for advanced modes and features such as automated vacuum control, it offers researchers a comprehensive solution for high-vacuum AFM studies.
Key Features
NX-Hivac High-Vacuum Control
NX-Hivac provides a high-vacuum environment for reliable nanoscale measurements. By eliminating interference from ambient conditions, it enables advanced research beyond ambient or dry nitrogen (N₂) environments. The chamber reaches a vacuum level of 10⁻⁵ Torr in less than five minutes, with an internal volume of 325 mm × 420 mm × 320 mm.
Low-Outgassing Chamber Materials
NX-Hivac chamber is constructed from materials optimized to minimize outgassing under high-vacuum conditions. This design reduces pump-down time and helps maintain a stable vacuum environment, ensuring consistent and reliable measurement performance.
Motorized Photodetector (A–B) Alignment
The system employs a superluminescent diode (SLD) for low-coherence illumination, minimizing optical interference and enhancing image clarity. Precise beam positioning is achieved through direct X–Y control using beam and position-sensitive photodetector (PSPD) alignment knobs. For added convenience, the PSPD A–B axis alignment can be performed under vacuum without opening the chamber.
Hivac Manager
Park Hivac Manager streamlines vacuum operation into a fast and effortless process with one-click pumping and venting. The software clearly visualizes each step of the sequence and automates the workflow, reducing operator workload and improving overall efficiency.
Improved Z Scan Straightness
Park NX series Z scanner maintains straightness within 0.1% across the usable range, with out-of-axis motion under 5 nm even at a full 15 µm extension.
Its compact assembly, combining a preload spring, kinematic pin, and piezo actuator, minimizes drift and ensures accurate vertical motion for reliable, distortion-free nanoscale measurements.
On-Axis Optical Microscope
The high-power on-axis optical microscope provides a clear view of the sample surface. A software-controlled LED light source illuminates the sample surface for better observation.
Park AFM Technology
Orthogonal Scan System
Conventional AFMs with tube scanners suffer from out-of-plane motion and axes crosstalk, resulting in image distortion, especially over large scan areas. NX-Hivac, like all Park AFMs, employs an advanced orthogonal scan system featuring a flexure-guided architecture: a 2D flexure scanner moves the sample in the XY plane, while a separate 1D flexure scanner independently controls the probe’s Z-axis motion. Equipped with low-noise optical sensors for XY feedback and an ultra-low-noise strain gauge sensor for Z control, this separated scanner system ensures highly orthogonal, linear scans with minimal out-of-plane motion and fast dynamic performance.
The XY scanner is designed to achieve flat, purely horizontal motion without vertical interference by using stacked piezo actuators and flexure hinge structures. A position sensor is located at the center of the scanner to provide direct feedback for servo control, minimizing positioning errors across the scan area. This design ensures consistent accuracy and stability, even when scanning large samples.
Park AFM Technology
True Non-Contact™ Mode
NX-Hivac features True Non-contact™ mode, a proprietary technology exclusively offered by Park Systems. True Non-contact mode obtains topography by detecting the attractive van der Waals force between the AFM tip and the sample surface.
