# afspm: A Framework for Manufacturer-Agnostic Automation in Scanning Probe Microscopy

## TL;DR

This paper introduces afspm, a flexible, manufacturer-agnostic automation framework for scanning probe microscopy that enhances code sharing, reusability, and multi-language support, validated through integration with two different SPMs.

## Contribution

The paper presents a novel, generic automation framework for SPMs that supports multi-language components and multi-computer setups, improving flexibility and reusability.

## Key findings

- Successful integration with two different SPMs from separate manufacturers
- Effective thermal drift correction demonstrated in experiments
- Framework limits SPM access to a single component at a time

## Abstract

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) is a valuable technique by which one can investigate the physical characteristics of the surfaces of materials. However, its widespread use is hampered by the time-consuming nature of running an experiment and the significant domain knowledge required. Recent studies have shown the value of multiple forms of automation in improving this, but their use is limited due to the difficulty of integrating them with SPMs other than the one it was developed for. With this in mind, we propose an automation framework for SPMs aimed toward facilitating code sharing and reusability of developed components. Our framework defines generic control and data structure schemas which are passed among independent software processes (components), with the final SPM commands sent after passing through an SPM-specific translator. This approach permits multi-language support and allows for experimental components to be decoupled among multiple computers. Our mediation logic limits access to the SPM to a single component at a time, with a simple override mechanism in order to correct detected experiment problems. To validate our proposal, we integrated and tested it with two SPMs from separate manufacturers, and ran an experiment involving a thermal drift correction component.