Scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) can image the surface topography of specimens in ionic solutions without mechanical probe-sample contact. This unique capability is advantageous for imaging fragile biological samples but its highest possible imaging rate is far lower than the level desired in biological studies. Here, we present the development of high-speed SICM. The fast imaging capability is attained by a fast Z-scanner with active vibration control and pipette probes with enhanced ion conductance. By the former, the delay of probe Z-positioning is minimized to sub-10 µs, while its maximum stroke is secured at 6 μm. The enhanced ion conductance lowers a noise floor in ion current detection, increasing the detection bandwidth up to 100 kHz. Thus, temporal resolution 100-fold higher than that of conventional systems is achieved, together with spatial resolution around 20 nm.

中文翻译：

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高速离子电导显微镜的发展

扫描离子电导显微镜 (SICM) 可以在没有机械探针与样品接触的情况下对离子溶液中样品的表面形貌进行成像。这种独特的能力有利于对脆弱的生物样品进行成像，但其最高的成像率远低于生物研究所需的水平。在这里，我们介绍了高速 SICM 的发展。快速成像能力是通过具有主动振动控制的快速 Z 扫描仪和具有增强离子电导的移液管探针实现的。通过前者，探头 Z 定位的延迟最小化到 10 微秒以下，而其最大行程确保在 6 微米。增强的离子电导降低了离子电流检测中的本底噪声，将检测带宽增加到 100 kHz。因此，实现了比传统系统高 100 倍的时间分辨率，