The objective of the present invention is to provide a corrosion resistance evaluation method and evaluation device that make it possible to estimate crevice corrosion depth and pitting depth in a short period of time. A corrosion resistance evaluation method according to the present invention is characterized in that the surface potential of a metal under evaluation is measured in a state in which the metal is immersed in a usage-environment liquid, the surface potential distribution of the metal is determined, the surface potential differences in the microstructure of the metal are calculated on the basis of the surface potential distribution, and the corrosion rate of crevice corrosion and corrosion rate of pitting are predicted using the maximum surface potential difference from among the calculated surface potential differences as an evaluation index for corrosion evaluation.

A sample vessel retention mechanism for an inverted microscope having an optical objective and a scanning probe microscope (SPM) head. The inverted microscope includes a platform for supporting a sample vessel, in which is formed an aperture sized to provide a passage for the objective of the inverted microscope to approach the sample vessel from below. The retention mechanism provides a vacuum region formed in the platform, with the vacuum region being barometrically coupled with a vacuum generator. Establishment of a vacuum in the vacuum region prevents or substantially reduces oscillation of the sample vessel floor in an operating frequency range of the SPM head.

A sample vessel retention mechanism for an inverted microscope having an optical objective and a scanning probe microscope (SPM) head. The inverted microscope includes a platform for supporting a sample vessel, in which is formed an aperture sized to provide a passage for the objective of the inverted microscope to approach the sample vessel from below. The retention mechanism provides a vacuum region formed in the platform, with the vacuum region being barometrically coupled with a vacuum generator. Establishment of a vacuum in the vacuum region prevents or substantially reduces oscillation of the sample vessel floor in an operating frequency range of the SPM head.

The invention provides a liquid cell for an atomic force microscope. The liquid cell includes a liquid cell housing with an internal cavity to contain a fluid, a plurality of conductive feedthroughs traversing the liquid cell housing between the internal cavity and a dry side of the liquid cell, a cantilevered probe coupled to the liquid cell housing, and a piezoelectric drive element disposed on the cantilevered probe. The cantilevered probe is actuated when a drive voltage is applied to the piezoelectric drive element through at least one of the conductive feedthroughs. A method of imaging an object in a liquid medium and a method of sensing a target species with the liquid cell are also disclosed.

The invention provides a liquid cell for an atomic force microscope. The liquid cell includes a liquid cell housing with an internal cavity to contain a fluid, a plurality of conductive feedthroughs traversing the liquid cell housing between the internal cavity and a dry side of the liquid cell, a cantilevered probe coupled to the liquid cell housing, and a piezoelectric drive element disposed on the cantilevered probe. The cantilevered probe is actuated when a drive voltage is applied to the piezoelectric drive element through at least one of the conductive feedthroughs. A method of imaging an object in a liquid medium and a method of sensing a target species with the liquid cell are also disclosed.

A sample holder includes a sample container and a fixing member. The fixing member is inserted into the sample container in a state in which a sample is placed, and fixes the sample by sandwiching the sample between the fixing member and a bottom surface of the sample container. At this time, a peripheral edge portion of the fixing member is elastically deformed by being inserted into the sample container, and the fixing member sandwiches the sample by its elastic force. Therefore, even when the sample is placed in the sample container in the state of being immersed in a liquid, the sample can be held in a stable state by the fixing member.

This sample holder for a scanning probe microscope is constituted of (1) a container that retains a liquid and (2) a flat-plate-shaped upper cover that covers an upper opening of the container and that has a narrow slit above the position where a sample is placed. In the upper cover, the slit has a slit width with which a thin film of the liquid is formed over the upper surface of the sample when the liquid fills the space between the container and the upper cover. The thin film of the liquid has a film thickness smaller than the distance between the upper surface of the sample and the upper cover.

This sample holder for a scanning probe microscope is constituted of (1) a container that retains a liquid and (2) a flat-plate-shaped upper cover that covers an upper opening of the container and that has a narrow slit above the position where a sample is placed. In the upper cover, the slit has a slit width with which a thin film of the liquid is formed over the upper surface of the sample when the liquid fills the space between the container and the upper cover. The thin film of the liquid has a film thickness smaller than the distance between the upper surface of the sample and the upper cover.

A polymeric micro-arm apparatus and method to use the same. The apparatus comprises of an elongated hollow polymeric structure with a distal end and a proximal end, an opening near the distal end, a main body attached to the polymeric structure means to move the polymeric structure, means to generate fluid flow through the opening, means to measure a flowrate of the fluid flow through the opening; and an element embedded in the polymeric structure, wherein the element is configured to detect when the polymeric structure contacts an object and measures the force that the object exerts upon the polymeric structure.

The invention relates to a top-cover for a controlled environmental system (CES) for use with a measurement technique that requires introducing a probe to a sample placed on a sample holder, a CES and a procedure to control the environment for a sample in a system in particular a CES during a measurement with a probe based technique.