Soft or Fragile
Since its very discovery, AFM has held the great promise as a technique of choice for non-destructive surface measurements. To achieve this goal, one need to decrease to a minimum the tip-sample interaction force. The strong interaction force can bring about deformation and/or destruction of the surface of soft, fragile, liquid and weakly adhering samples.
Soft and fragile samples can be imaged in non-contact and tapping mode only. Contact mode AFM is characterized by the presence of uncontrollable shear forces able to modify the morphological features.
To avoid sample deformation due to mechanical contact with the AFM tip in tapping mode, the tip-sample interaction force must be decreased to a minimum by using sharp AFM tips, soft AFM cantilevers, smaller amplitudes, and higher set-point ratios. High-resolution images of soft samples can be obtained by regular General Purpose AFM probes; however, a better performance is achieved using High Resolution AFM probes.
Tapping mode
Hi'Res-C AFM probes (Rtip < 1nm) having soft AFM cantilevers with a spring constant of 5 N/m or lower are recommended for scanning delicate samples in tapping mode. "Light" tapping conditions including small free AFM cantilever amplitudes (0.1 - 0.2V) and high setpoint ratios (0.8 - 0.95) provide stable imaging. Under light tapping conditions, Hi'Res-C AFM probes do not break and remain clean during long-term measurements.
However, extra attention should be paid to engagement of Hi'Res-C AFM probes. Scan rate should start at below 1 Hz. Scan size should start out at 50 nm x 50 nm.
Non-contact mode
Non-destructive surface imaging is also attainable in non-contact mode under ultra high vacuum conditions using regular silicon or Hi'Res-C AFM probes. AFM cantilevers of the 15 Series having high spring constant of 20 - 100 N/m and high resonance frequency over 300 kHz are usually used in this mode.ORDERING OPTIONS
Click on a product type below to order online.tapping mode
Ambient atmosphere
HQ:NSC AFM probes with medium spring constant
Hi'Res-C14/Al BS
High resolution
Hi'Res-C AFM probes with medium spring constant
Hi'Res-C14/Cr-Au
non-contact mode
UHV conditions
HQ:NSC AFM probes for non-contact mode
HQ:NSC15/Al BS
High-resolution in UHV
Hi'Res-C AFM probes for non-contact mode
Hi'Res-C15/Cr-Au