Pacific Nanotechnology Inc.

Guide to AFM standards and references

Particles

SPM height calibration can be done on nano-spheres of uniform size, it also verifies SPM performance on samples with weak adhesion to the surface. Often it is helpful to include nanoparticles with a sample to establish the sizes of features in the imager relative to the nanoparticles.

Company	Standard/Reference
Duke Scientific Co.	20 < D < 900nm Traceable and certified polymer spheres come in dry powder and aqueous suspensions in great variety of sizes.
Ted Pella	D = 5nm D = 15nm D = 30nm AFM gold standard kit consists of three sizes of gold colloids in aqueous suspensions.
American Dye Source Inc.	All colors of q-dots. Quantum dots of any size come in great variety of kits.
EvidentTechnology Inc.	All colors of q-dots. Quantum dots of any size come in great variety of kits.

Figure 3: This AFM image is of 102 nm diameter polymer nanospheres. Software can be used for counting the particles and for measuring a size distribution of the partcles.