Automated Probe Landing & Surface Topography

This feature enables fully automated landing of any probe on virtually any surface — eliminating one of the most time-consuming and error-prone steps in nanoprobing.

Manual probe landing typically requires high operator skill and carries the risk of damaging probes or sensitive samples. With SmarProbe’s automated landing, the process becomes both faster and safer, requiring no user intervention. The automation also enables blind operation, significantly reducing the electron dose to the sample and preserving device integrity — especially critical for beam-sensitive materials.

In addition, the same functionality allows the probe to perform topography measurements and generate height profiles or surface maps. At a controlled scan speed of approximately 1 µm/s, the system can record detailed topography images for structural inspection or navigation.

The automated probe landing option includes the SmarProbe Touch Controller and the Advanced Probe Holder.