TipCheck sample for checking AFM tips
When imaging a sample surface by AFM, it can sometimes be difficult to know whether the surface is being imaged accurately or if it is affected by a blunt or broken AFM tip. Blunt or broken tips will dramatically distort measurements, such as surface roughness and feature dimensions. To be sure that a proper AFM tip is used, they need to be renewed regularly or checked by SEM imaging – both methods are time consuming and expensive.
The solution is to use TipCheck sample for quick and convenient determination of the AFM tip condition. A single scan is often enough to clearly show the condition of the AFM tip – Tipcheck offers a quick and easy way to compare and categorize different AFM probes with respect to tip parameters such as apex, shape and sharpness.
It is ease to check whether the AFM tip is still in good condition, is starting to show wear or is blunt or broken without the need of scanning an entire image or performing an SEM inspection of the tip. Additionally, TipCheck works well with Auto Tip Qualification and Tip Characterisation software currently available on the market.
Comparison between different tip conditions measured with the TipCheck sample. Scan size is 1×1µm for all images and the height scale is 100nm.
TipCheck sample consists of an extremely wear-resistant thin film coating deposited on a silicon chip. The thin film shows a granular, sharply peaked nanostructure which is ideal for reverse imaging of the AFM probe tip apex. The die size of the TipCheck is 5 x 5mm and it is mounted with electrically conductive epoxy resin on a 12mm metal AFM disc.
