Environmental chamber for an atomic force microscope.

A commercial atomic force microscope (AFM), originally designed for operation in ambient conditions, was placed inside a compact aluminum chamber, which can be pumped down to high vacuum levels or filled with a desired gaseous atmosphere, including humidity, up to normal pressure. The design of this environmental AFM is such that minimal intrusion is made to the original setup, which can be restored easily. The performance inside the environmental chamber is similar to the original version.