Sensor-Integrated AFM Chips

Micro Sensors, Macro Benefits

Built-in sensor technology eliminates the need for laser alignment and manual adjustments, focusing your attention on research, process development and quality control.

Durable Tips, Gentle Scans

Far surpassing the typical lifespan and cost-per-scan of traditional silicon tips, our chips have significantly extended tip life of over 1,000 scans without noticeable wear.

Preserve your samples thanks to the non-destructive interaction between the tip and the sample due to the built-in sensor.

What our users are saying

"I've used my nGauge for years and scanned hundreds of samples. During that time I haven't broken or replaced a single tip. Most samples I work with are quite hard too: ceramics, silicon, glass and metal alloys. The DLC tip I use every day is nearly as sharp as the day I received it despite all the scanning, and I haven't needed to use my backup tip in the three years I've owned the machine."

Zachary Tong

Breaking Taps

Tip Specifications

Two different types of tips are available depending on resolution requirements: diamond-like carbon (DLC) tips for high-resolution and general-purpose imaging, and alumina wedge (WDG) tips for coarse imaging, training and step height measurements.

High-Aspect Ratio Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) Tips

Ideal for general imaging and for demanding applications.

Our DLC tips offer excellent lateral resolution with a tip radius of <20 nm. DLC is a durable material that enables hundreds or thousands of scans without noticeable degradation in scan quality.

Our DLC tips are tilt-compensated by 15º to provide symmetrical, high-fidelity scans. The DLC tip is >1 µm tall.

DLC is a low surface energy material, meaning that it also offers excellent contamination resistance (against particles, debris, polymer build-up and other contaminants).

Tip radius	<20 nm
Tip height	>1 µm
Cone angle	<10º
Aspect ratio	>3
Tilt compensation	15º
Tip shape	Conical
Tip material	Diamond-like carbon

Aluminum Wedge (WDG) Tips

Ideal for coarse imaging, training and step heights.

Alumina is a durable material that enables hundreds or thousands of scans without noticeable degradation in scan quality.

The native oxide (alumina) of aluminum is a low surface energy material, meaning that it also offers excellent contamination resistance (against particles, debris, polymer build-up and other contaminants).

Tip radius (effective)	<150 nm
Tip shape	Wedge
Tip material	Alumina

Cantilever Specifications

The tip of the AFM is located at the very end of the cantilever beam. The cantilever on all our chips have the same specifications.

Shape	Beam
Length	30 µm
Width	6 µm
Thickness	3 µm
Resonant frequency	8 kHz (typical: 7 - 9 kHz)
Stiffness	0.1 N/m

Frequently Asked Questions

How durable are the AFM chips?

Our AFM probes are securely bonded onto the end of a carrier printed circuit board (PCB), making them robust and durable for extended use. They can be handled by hand, provided the probe itself is not directly contacted or subjected to mechanical stress. Under normal usage conditions, the chips maintain their integrity and performance indefinitely.

Will the AFM chip damage my samples during scanning?

Imaging with our AFM chips is non-destructive due to the low force tapping mode used and sensitive samples (biological, polymer, etc.) can be scanned with no risk of damage.

Can I use the same AFM chip for different samples?

Yes! A single AFM chip can be freely used to scan multiple different types of samples during a single imaging session with minimal risk of contamination.

How does the AFM chip work?

Our AFM chips are integrated with sensors that make our systems fast, easy-to-use and work like magic.

Can I use the same AFM chips between the nGauge and the Redux?

Yes! Our AFM-on-a-chip technology is fully interchangeable between our products.