AFM Probes (Cantilevers)

The probe or cantilever is one of the most important elements of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) system. It is the probe that makes the difference between an excellent quality image and one that is immediately destined for the recycle bin, and above all the correct choice of probe, alongside the imaging parameters is one of the most important areas of expertise for a scanning probe microscopist.

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AFM Probes (Cantilevers)

The probe or cantilever is one of the most important elements of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) system. It is the probe that makes the difference between an excellent quality image and one that is immediately destined for the recycle bin, and above all the correct choice of probe, alongside the imaging parameters is one of the most important areas of expertise for a scanning probe microscopist.

Key Features


VSM Instruments offers a full range of AFM probes including those for:

  • Contact mode
  • Semi-contact / resonant / non contact / tapping mode
  • Conductive probes for measurement of surface electrical properties
  • Probes for magnetic force microscopy
  • Super sharp probes
  • Integration with other top-down optical methods

AFM Probes (Cantilevers)

The probe or cantilever is one of the most important elements of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) system. It is the probe that makes the difference between an excellent quality image and one that is immediately destined for the recycle bin, and above all the correct choice of probe, alongside the imaging parameters is one of the most important areas of expertise for a scanning probe microscopist.

Key Features


VSM Instruments offers a full range of AFM probes including those for:

  • Contact mode
  • Semi-contact / resonant / non contact / tapping mode
  • Conductive probes for measurement of surface electrical properties
  • Probes for magnetic force microscopy
  • Super sharp probes
  • Integration with other top-down optical methods

TNCSG Series Contact Mode AFM probes

High Resolution Silicon AFM Cantilevers TNCSG series are designed for Contact Mode applications. The cantilever has a gold reflective coating on the top side to maximise the laser signal.

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TNNSG Series Semicontact Mode AFM probes

High Resolution Silicon AFM Cantilevers TNNSG series are designed for SemiContact (intermittent or non-contact) Mode applications. The cantilever has a gold reflective coating on the top side to maximise the laser signal.

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TNCSG Series Contact Mode AFM probes with Conductive Coating

High Resolution Silicon AFM Cantilevers TNCSG series are designed for electrical modes which operate with the probe in contact with the surface. The cantilever has a gold reflective coating on the top side to maximise the laser signal. Conductive coating on the tip side can be gold or platinum- iridium with a thickness of 20-30nm.

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TNNSG Series Semicontact Mode AFM probes with Conductive Coating

High Resolution Silicon AFM Cantilevers TNNSG series are designed for electrical modes which operate with the probe in intermittent contact with the surface. The cantilever has a gold reflective coating on the top side to maximise the laser signal. The conductive coating on the tip side can be gold or platinum- iridium with a thickness of 20-30nm

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TNMFM Series MFM probes with Magnetic Coating

High Resolution Silicon AFM Cantilevers TNMFM series are designed for magnetic modes such as magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The cantilever has an aluminium reflective coating on the top side to maximise the laser signal. The tip-side is coated with a CoCr magnetic coating.

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TNFMG Series Probes for Force Modulation Microscopy

High Resolution Silicon AFM Cantilevers TNFMG series are designed for force modulation applications. The cantilever has an aluminium reflective coating on the top side to maximise the laser signal. The tip-side is uncoated.

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TNVIT_P Top Visual Probes for Semicontact and Non-contact mode

TOP VISUAL High Resolution Semicontact / Noncontact Silicon AFM Cantilevers VIT_P series are specially designed for tip or laser spot precise positioning over the point of interest. Typical Resonant Frequency 335 kHz (guaranteed range 210-490 kHz), Typical Force Constant 45 N/m (guaranteed range 12-110 N/m).  Cantilevers have no coating. Probes are also available with Au reflective coating as well as with conductive tip coating.

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TNVIT_P_C Top Visual Probes for Contact mode

TOP VISUAL High Resolution Contact Silicon AFM Cantilevers VIT_P_C series are specially designed for tip or laser spot precise positioning over the point of interest. Typical Resonant Frequency 16 kHz (guaranteed range 8-25 kHz), Typical Force Constant 0.3 N/m (guaranteed range 0.06-1N/m). Cantilevers don’t have any reflective coating.

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