NanoWorld® Pointprobe® NCH probes are designed for non-contact or tapping mode imaging. This AFM probe type combines high operation stability with outstanding sensitivity and fast scanning ability.

All SPM and AFM probes of the Pointprobe® series are made from monolithic silicon which is highly doped to dissipate static charge. They are chemically inert and offer a high mechanical Q-factor for high sensitivity. The AFM tip is shaped like a polygon based pyramid with a typical height of 10 - 15 µm.

This AFM tip shows a high aspect ratio portion with near-vertical sidewalls and is specially tailored for measurements on samples with sidewalls approaching 90°.

These probes offer unique features:

• Length of the high aspect ratio portion of the AFM tip > 2 µm
• Typical aspect ratio of this portion in the order of 7:1
  (when viewed from side as well as along AFM cantilever axis!)
• Half cone angle of the high aspect ratio portion typically < 5°
• Typical AFM tip radius of curvature < 10 nm

For applications requiring lower resonance frequencies or an AFM cantilever length exceeding 125 µm we recommend our Pointprobe® type AR5-NCLR.

A trapezoidal cross section of the AFM cantilever and therefore 30% wider (e.g. NCH) AFM cantilever detector side result in easier and faster laser adjustment. Additionally, because there is simply more space to place and reflect the laser beam, a higher SUM signal is reached.

Aluminum Reflex Coating

The aluminum reflex coating consists of a 30 nm thick aluminum layer deposited on the detector side of the AFM cantilever which enhances the reflectance of the laser beam by a factor of 2.5. Furthermore it prevents light from interfering within the AFM cantilever.