Self-Sensing Capabilities
A fully integrated piezoresistive sensor built into the cantilever eliminates the need for an external optical detection system.
Becasue no optical path is required, self-sensing probes can be used in instruments with limited optical access, including vacuum chambers, cryostats, and other confined environments.
Probe exchange requires no optical realignment, which shortens setup time and allows measurement to resume quickly.
Durable
Platinum silicide (PtSi) tips are substantially harder than standard cantilever tip and wear more slowly, reducing the frequency of probe replacement and the downtime that comes with it.
Minimal tip wear preserves tip geometry from scan to scan, limiting measurement drift and improving data consistency.
Longer probe lifetime reduces downtime and consumable use, lowering overall operating costs.
Conductive
A proprietary probe formation process produces yields tips with uniformly high conductivity so changes in signal can be attributed to the sample rather than the tip.
Because every probe is fabricated by the same process, electrical behavior is repeatable from probe to probe and across experiments, supporting reliable comparison of results over time.
Reduced tip-to-tip variability lets the recorded signal more accurately represent the sample, increasing confidence in conclusions and reducing the need for repeat measurements.
Charge Dissipation
Conductive probes give accumulated charge a path to dissipate, maintaining a stable tip-sample potential under electron beam exposure.
Preventing charge from disturbing the tip-sample interaction reduces imaging artifacts and drift, increasing the proportion of usable data.
These probes are designed for electron microscope environments, enabling AFM measurements within SEM systems without compromising data quality.
