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Training/Upcoming classes

Premier SPM Training Site

SurfaceChar has a proven history of over a dozen courses over 5 years in all aspects of AFM operation, technology, and applications applicable to ALL commercial AFM instruments. We have taught globally over 100 students in our continually updated, hands-on AFM course that covers everything from basics to advanced modes, image processing, and simulation tools. The goal of our courses is to provide a thorough overview of AFM capability and provide practical, hands-on guidance to users to improve their understanding and operation of this complicated instrument.

Onsite and Offsite SPM Training


SurfaceChar is the premier AFM training service, offering over a dozen courses over 5 years in all aspects of AFM operation, technology, and applications applicable to ALL commercial AFM vendors. We have taught globally over 100 students in our continually updated, hands-on AFM course.

SurfaceChar is pleased to offer AFM/SPM training at a site convenient to the customer location. Our training involves one-on-one interaction with the customer to address their specific imaging and characterization needs. We have a wide range of expertise and have significant experience servicing the defense, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, semiconductor, and chemicals industry. This training is typically done with customer equipment, although options to bring in equipment for customer-based training is also possible.

We also offer a variety of multi-day workshops (1-day, 2-day, and 3-day) to provide customized training on scanning probe microscopy, nanoindentation, nanomechanical characterization, and application-specific characterization.

Our training will help you understand what measurements are possible, optimize the measurements on your samples, help design measurements for your application, and answer questions such as the ones below:

What is the different information SPM can provide for my application?
What is the best mode of operation for my experiments?
How can I optimize my operating parameters?
How can SPM enhance/complement the information I am getting from other surface characterization techniques?
How can I identify artifacts in my imaging and my interpretation?
Are these properties that I am measuring accurate?

Upcoming Courses

AFM training course September 1-2, 2020 - NOW VIRTUAL! Class time: 9am-4pm EST
This overview of AFM/SPM is a practical course to teach the principles of operation, basic and advanced imaging modes, and overall capabilities of this increasingly popular technique that is becoming a part of all main characterization toolkits.

Lectures are intervowen with labs on a variety of samples to ensure students get hands-on experience on the microscope. Pre-recorded labs on various instrumentation will be held in lieu of in-person labs.

The purpose of this course is to provide a thorough foundation in operation of AFM's and to understand the various modes, including newer state of the art modes, by understanding their operating principles and key operating parameters. At the end of hte course, students will be able to set up an imaging experiment and run basic static and dynamic AFM mode. They will also gain an understanding of the various parameters involved for the different modes and how to optimize them for best imaging results. Providing a comprehensive background to this field, advanced modes and simulation models are also covered, in addition to various image processing tools.

This course is intended for a broad audience of scientists and engineers, from advanced undergraduates to seasons professionals, who are interested in learning about AFM and how it can improve their R&D efforts. Past attendees at this course include instrument operators, lab facility managers, technicians, and research managers. Registration fees - deadline to register is Friday August 21. Please email your name and registration type to classes@surfacechar.com and invoice will be sent to you. Industrial User: $995 Academic User: $795