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Soft Tapping Mode AFM Probes

  • HQ:NSC14/Al BS
    HQ:NSC14/Al BS
    Soft Tapping Mode AFM Probe
    • 160 kHz 5.0 N/m
    HQ:NSC35/Al BS
    HQ:NSC35/Al BS
    AFM Probe with 3 Different Soft Tapping Mode AFM Cantilevers
    • 205/300/150 kHz 8.9/16/5.4 N/m
    HQ:NSC18/Al BS
    HQ:NSC18/Al BS
    Soft Tapping Mode AFM Probe
    • 75 kHz 2.8 N/m
    HQ:XSC11/Al BS
    HQ:XSC11/Al BS
    AFM Probe with 4 Different Cantilevers for Various Applications
    • 15/80/155/350 kHz 0.2/2.7/7.0/42 N/m
    HQ:NSC19/Al BS
    HQ:NSC19/Al BS
    Soft Tapping Mode and LFM AFM Probe
    • 65 kHz 0.5 N/m
    HQ:NSC36/Al BS
    HQ:NSC36/Al BS
    AFM Probe with 3 Different Soft Tapping Mode AFM Cantilevers
    • 90/130/65 kHz 1.0/2.0/0.6 N/m
    HQ:NSC14/No Al
    HQ:NSC14/No Al
    Soft Tapping Mode AFM Probe
    • 160 kHz 5.0 N/m
    HQ:NSC18/No Al
    HQ:NSC18/No Al
    Soft Tapping Mode AFM Probe
    • 75 kHz 2.8 N/m
    HQ:NSC19/No Al
    HQ:NSC19/No Al
    Soft Tapping Mode and LFM AFM Probe
    • 65 kHz 0.5 N/m
    HQ:NSC35/No Al
    HQ:NSC35/No Al
    AFM Probe with 3 Different Soft Tapping Mode AFM Cantilevers
    • 205/300/150 kHz 8.9/16/5.4 N/m
    HQ:NSC36/No Al
    HQ:NSC36/No Al
    AFM Probe with 3 Different Soft Tapping Mode AFM Cantilevers
    • 90/130/65 kHz 1.0/2.0/0.6 N/m
    HQ:XSC11/No Al
    HQ:XSC11/No Al
    AFM Probe with 4 Different Cantilevers for Various Applications
    • 15/80/155/350 kHz 0.2/2.7/7.0/42 N/m

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  • HQ AFM tip close-up HQ AFM tip close-up

    Typical radius of uncoated AFM tip
    8 nm
    Full AFM tip cone angle
    40°
    Total AFM tip height
    12 - 18 µm
    AFM probe material
    n-type silicon
    AFM probe bulk resistivity
    0.01 - 0.025 Ohm·cm

    The HQ:NSC and HQ:XSC AFM tips have trihedral shape with a full cone angle of 40° and even smaller at the last 200nm of the AFM tip apex. The soft tapping mode AFM probes feature AFM cantilevers with medium stiffness and force constants in the range 0.5-16N/m. They are used in tapping mode for imaging relatively soft samples to obtain better phase contrast and reduce surface deformations caused by the tapping AFM tip.

    The optional aluminum reflective coating enhances the laser reflectivity of the AFM cantilever by approximately 2.5 times.

    There is a range of available AFM cantilever coatings for the tip side and back side. Please check the other catalog categories for coated versions of the soft tapping mode AFM probes.

    The highly successful HQ series now extends over all AFM probe series with 1, 3 and 4 AFM cantilevers.

    1 AFM Cantilever Series
    AFM CantileverResonance Frequency, kHzForce Constant, N/m
    mintypicalmaxmintypicalmax
    14 series 110 160 220 1.8 5.0 13
    18 series 60 75 90 1.2 2.8 5.5
    19 series 25 65 120 0.05 0.5 2.3

     

    3 AFM Cantilevers Series

    AFM CantileverResonance Frequency, kHzForce Constant, N/m
    mintypicalmaxmintypicalmax
    35 series Cantilever A 130 205 290 2.7 8.9 24
    Cantilever B 185 300 430 4.8 16 44
    Cantilever C 95 150 205 1.7 5.4 14
    36 series Cantilever A 30 90 160 0.1 1.0 4.6
    Cantilever B 45 130 240 0.2 2 9
    Cantilever C 25 65 115 0.06 0.6 2.7

     

    4 AFM Cantilevers Series

    AFM CantileverResonance Frequency, kHzForce Constant, N/m
    mintypicalmaxmintypicalmax
    11 series Cantilever A 12 15 18 0.1 0.2 0.4
    Cantilever B 60 80 100 1.1 2.7 5.6
    Cantilever C 115 155 200 3 7 16
    Cantilever D 250 350 465 17 42 90

     

    Application

    Most of the routine topography imaging experiments require AFM probes of about 8 to 10nm radius. Using these AFM probes, lateral resolution down to 5nm is attainable for scan size below 1μm. Usually, sharpened silicon etched AFM probes are used for general purpose measurements.

    Polymer Spherulite on Mica. 10 µm topography scan. AFM Image obtained with MikroMasch® HQ:NSC14/Al BS AFM probe on Smart SPM ( AIST-NT Inc, Novato, CA). Image courtesy of Fedor Kraev, UC Davis

    Polymer Spherulite on Mica. 10 µm topography scan. AFM Image obtained with MikroMasch® HQ:NSC14/Al BS AFM probe on Smart SPM ( AIST-NT Inc, Novato, CA).
    Image courtesy of Fedor Kraev, UC Davis


    "
    4 µm topography image and corresponding section analysis of a single layer graphene oxide flake on mica. AFM Image obtained with MikroMasch® HQ:NSC14/Al BS AFM probe on Smart SPM ( AIST-NT Inc, Novato, CA).
    Image courtesy of Fedor Kraev, UC Davis


    200nm topography scan of SAM of Palmityl Palmitate on HOPG. AFM Image obtained with MikroMasch® HQ:NSC14/Al BS AFM probe with closed loop in XY using Smart SPM ( AIST-NT Inc, Novato, CA). Image courtesy of Fedor Kraev, UC Davis
    200nm topography scan of SAM of Palmityl Palmitate on HOPG. AFM Image obtained with MikroMasch® HQ:NSC14/Al BS AFM probe with closed loop in XY using Smart SPM ( AIST-NT Inc, Novato, CA).
    Image courtesy of Fedor Kraev, UC Davis

    20x20 nm topography (left) and the phase shift image of SAM of Cholesteryl Stearate on HOPG. True molecular resolution is achieved in ambient conditions using MikroMasch® HQ:NSC14/Al BS AFM probe on SmartSPM ( AIST-NT Inc. Novato, CA). Image courtesy of Dmitry Evplov, AIST-NT Inc
    20x20 nm topography (left) and the phase shift image of SAM of Cholesteryl Stearate on HOPG. True molecular resolution is achieved in ambient conditions using MikroMasch® HQ:NSC14/Al BS AFM probe on SmartSPM ( AIST-NT Inc. Novato, CA).
    Image courtesy of Dmitry Evplov, AIST-NT Inc.

    20x20 nm topography (left) and the phase shift image of SAM of Cholesteryl Stearate on HOPG. True molecular resolution is achieved in ambient conditions using MikroMasch® HQ:NSC14/Al BS AFM probe on SmartSPM ( AIST-NT Inc. Novato, CA). Image courtesy of Dmitry Evplov, AIST-NT Inc
    20x20 nm topography (left) and the phase shift image of SAM of Cholesteryl Stearate on HOPG. True molecular resolution is achieved in ambient conditions using MikroMasch® HQ:NSC14/Al BS AFM probe on SmartSPM ( AIST-NT Inc. Novato, CA).
    Image courtesy of Dmitry Evplov, AIST-NT Inc


    15 nm topography scan of SAM of Cholesteryl Stearate on HOPG. AFM Image obtained with MikroMasch® HQ:NSC14/Al BS AFM probe on SmartSPM ( AIST-NT Inc, Novato, CA). Image courtesy of Andrey Krayev, AIST-NT Inc
    15 nm topography scan of SAM of Cholesteryl Stearate on HOPG. AFM Image obtained with MikroMasch® HQ:NSC14/Al BS AFM probe on SmartSPM ( AIST-NT Inc, Novato, CA).
    Image courtesy of Andrey Krayev, AIST-NT Inc

    "
    Tapping mode topography image of self-assembled structures of semifluorinated alkanes on silicon (Agilent 5500 AFM). Scan size 350x350nm. Scan height 5nm. The scan is obtained using a soft tapping mode AFM probe.
    Image courtesy of S. Magonov, Agilent Technologies.