PointProbe® Plus Electrostatic Force Microscopy - PtIr5 Coating

The probe offers unique features: metallic conductivity of the tip radius of curvature better than 25 nm tip height 10 - 15 µm high mechanical Q-factor for high sensitivity alignment grooves on backside of silicon holder chip precise alignment of the cantilever position (within +/- 2 µm) when used with the Alignment Chip compatible with PointProbe® Plus XY-Alignment Series

The new PointProbe® Plus (PPP) combines the well-known features of the proven PointProbe® series such as high application versatility and compatibility with most commercial SPMs with a more reproducible tip radius as well as a more defined tip shape. The minimized variation in tip shape provides more reproducible images.

The PPP-EFM probe is offered for electrostatic force microscopy. An overall metallic coating (PtIr5) on both sides of the cantilever increasing the electrical conductivity of the tip. The force constant of this type is specially tailored for the electrostatic force microscopy yielding very high force sensitivity while simultaneously enabling tapping mode and lift mode operation.

The PtIr5 coating is an approximately 25 nm thick double layer of chromium and platinum iridium5 on both sides of the cantilever. The tip side coating enhances the conductivity of the tip and allows electrical contacts. The detector side coating enhances the reflectivity of the laser beam by a factor of about 2 and prevents light from interfering within the cantilever. The coating process is optimized for stress compensation and wear resistance. The bending of the cantilever due to stress is less than 3.5% of the cantilever length.