Pointprobe® Silicon-SPM-Probes Special Versions

SuperSharpSilicon™-SPM-Probes

For enhanced resolution of nanostructures and microroughness we have developed an advanced tip manufacturing process leading to a further improvement of the tip sharpness with radii typically as low as 2nm With these tips we have pushed back the frontiers of technology. The SuperSharpSilicon™ tips are fabricated on the base of the well established Pointprobe® probes. Thus the geometry of holder and cantilever is equal to that of the Pointprobe® probes. The mechanical properties of the cantilevers are described in the following product descriptions for each SuperSharpSilicon™ probe respectively. These properties are combined with the advanced SuperSharpSilicon™ tip shape. Tip Features The typical radius of a SuperSharpSilicon™ tip is about 2nm. We guarantee a tip radius of smaller than 5nm (guaranteed yield: 80%). The half cone angle is better than 10° at the last 200nm of the tip. The tip height is 10 to 15µm allowing measurement on fairly rough surfaces.

High Aspect Ratio Probes

For measurements on samples with sidewall angles approaching 90° we offer high aspect ratio tips with near-vertical sidewalls. At the last few micrometers these tips have an aspect ratio of typically 7:1 corresponding to a half cone angle of smaller than 5°. Furthermore the tip apex resembles the quality of our well-known Pointprobe® tips, i.e. a typical tip radius of better than 10nm. The high aspect ratio tips are fabricated on the base of the well-established Pointprobe® probes. Thus the geometry of holder and cantilever is equal to that of the Pointprobe® probes. The mechanical properties of the cantilevers are described in the following product descriptions for each High Aspect Ratio Tip probe respectively. The probes' properties are enhanced by the high aspect ratio tip shape. Tip Features The length of the high aspect portion of the tip is larger than 2µm. The typical aspect ratio for these last 2µm is in the order of 7:1. We guarantee a minimum aspect ratio of 5:1. Resulting from this the half cone angle is typically smaller than 5°. The tip radii are typically better than 10nm. We guarantee at least 15nm. The overall tip height is 10 to 15µm allowing measurements on highly corrugated samples. The whole tip as well as the rest of the probe is fabricated out of one single crystal silicon (monolithic design) resulting in a high lateral stiffness and rigidity.

Diamond Coated Probes

For SPM applications that require hard contact between probe and sample we recommend our Diamond coated Tip probes (DT). Some applications are friction measurements, the measurement of elastic properties of samples that are not necessarily soft as well as wear measurements or nanostructuring. Much more operation modes and applications are feasible which benefit from the hardness of the hardest material in the world - diamond. The DT probes are based on the Pointprobe® force modulation probe, the Pointprobe® non-contact / TappingMode™ high frequency probe or the Pointprobe® non-contact / TappingMode™ low frequency probe. For an enhancement of the reflectivity the detector side of the cantilever beam is covered by a reflex coating. Coating Features True polycrystalline diamond coating on the tipside of the cantilever with the unsurpassed hardness of diamond. The thickness of the diamond layer is approximately 100nm. The macroscopic tip radius is in the range of 100-200nm, but the tip often exhibits a nanoroughness in the 10nm regime which improves the resolution on flat surfaces.