Electrostatic Microprobe for Determining Charge Domains on Surfaces

Published

November 2, 2015

Author(s)

Robert A. Fletcher

Abstract

The electrostatic microprobe is a laboratory constructed instrument with the design purpose to measure charge content on wipe and various control surfaces. The device is constructed on an optical microscope platform, with a computer automated XY stage. Surfaces can be optically imaged to form micrographs of surface features as well as charge domain mapped. An ultimate goal is to quantify charge on wipe cloths to determine the influence of electrostatic forces on wipe sampling efficiency. We found that certain wipe materials do not extensively charge while others accumulate charge by making contact with other surfaces. Charge domains are found to be not uniform.

Citation

Review of Scientific Instruments

Volume

86

Issue

11

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4935168

Local Download

Keywords

electrostatic microprobe, cloth swiping, microscopy, wipes, static charge, particles

Citation

Fletcher, R. (2015), Electrostatic Microprobe for Determining Charge Domains on Surfaces, Review of Scientific Instruments, [online], https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4935168 (Accessed October 20, 2025)