NANOSENSORS™ has launched a new Silicon MFM Probe Series today.
For visualisation of magnetic domains by scanning probe microscopy different magnetic force microscopy probes are necessary.
NANOSENSORS™ Silicon MFM Probes are based on the well-known PointProbe® Plus AFM probe. The probes are optimized in view of high sensitivity and enable Tapping Mode, Non-contact and lift mode operation in air. They are designed to match the demands of a wide range of applications defined by the variety of magnetic samples with different properties. All the different magnetic coatings of the probes show an excellent long-term stability.
The NANOSENSORS™ Silicon MFM Probe Series offers six different types of MFM Probes:
1. PPP-MFMR – Standard Magnetic Force Microscopy Probe
This standard probe for magnetic force microscopy provides a good sensitivity, resolution and coercitivity. The hard magnetic coating on the tip is optimized for high magnetic contrast and high lateral resolution.
Stable imaging of a variety of samples such as different recording media has been demonstrated with this probe.
| Typical Values: | |
|---|---|
| Force Constant: | 2.8 N/m |
| Resonance Frequency: | 75 kHz |
| Tipside Coating.: | Hard Magnetic |
| Coercivity: | 300 Oe |
| Magnetisation: | 300 emu/cm³ |
| Magnetic Tip Moment: | ~ 10^13 emu |
| Guaranteed Tip Radius: | < 50 nm |
| Achievable Lateral Resolution: | < 50 nm |
2. PPP-LM-MFMR – Low Momentum Magnetic Force Microscopy Probe This AFM probe is designed for reduced disturbance of the magnetic sample by the tip and for enhanced lateral resolution compared to the standard PPP-MFMR probe.
| Typical Values: | |
|---|---|
| Force Constant: | 2.8 N/m |
| Resonance Frequency: | 75 kHz |
| Tipside Coating.: | Hard Magnetic |
| Coercivity: | 250 Oe |
| Magnetisation: | 150 emu/cm³ |
| Magnetic Tip Moment: | x0.5 |
| Guaranteed Tip Radius: | < 30 nm |
| Achievable Lateral Resolution: | < 35 nm |
3. PPP-LC-MFMR – Low Coercivity Magnetic Force Microscopy Probe
This AFM tip is coated with a soft magnetic thin film enabling the measurement of magnetic domains within soft magnetic samples. Due to the low coercivity of the tip coating the magnetisation of the tip will easily get reoriented by hard magnetic samples.
| Typical Values: | |
|---|---|
| Force Constant: | 2.8 N/m |
| Resonance Frequency: | 75 kHz |
| Tipside Coating.: | Soft Magnetic |
| Coercivity: | 0.75 Oe |
| Magnetisation: | 225 emu/cm³ |
| Magnetic Tip Moment: | x0.75 |
| Guaranteed Tip Radius: | < 30 nm |
| Achievable Lateral Resolution: | < 35 nm |
4. SSS-MFMR – SuperSharpSilicon™ High Resolution Magnetic Force Microscopy Probe
This MFM probe was especially designed for high resolution magnetic imaging. The well-known NANOSENSORS™ SuperSharpSilicon™ tip is used as a basis and is combined with a very thin hard magnetic coating. This results in an extremely small tip radius and a high aspect ratio on the last few hundred nanometers of the tip apex – the essential requirements for high lateral resolution down to 20 nm in ambient conditions.
| Typical Values: | |
|---|---|
| Force Constant: | 2.8 N/m |
| Resonance Frequency: | 75 kHz |
| Tipside Coating.: | Hard Magnetic |
| Coercivity: | 125 Oe |
| Magnetisation: | 80 emu/cm³ |
| Magnetic Tip Moment: | x0.25 |
| Guaranteed Tip Radius: | < 15 nm |
| Achievable Lateral Resolution: | < 25 nm |
5. SSS-QMFMR – SuperSharpSilicon™ High Resolution Magnetic Force Microscopy Probe with a high Q-factor
This special version of the high resolution magnetic force microscopy probe was especially tailored for applications in UHV. The high resolution and the magnetic characteristics are identical to the properties of the SSS-MFMR. Additionally it achieves a typical Q-factor of over 35 000 under UHV conditions.
| Typical Values: | |
|---|---|
| Force Constant: | 2.8 N/m |
| Resonance Frequency: | 75 kHz |
| Tipside Coating.: | Hard Magnetic |
| Coercivity: | 125 Oe |
| Magnetisation: | 80 emu/cm³ |
| Magnetic Tip Moment: | x0.25 |
| Guaranteed Tip Radius: | < 15 nm |
| Achievable Lateral Resolution: | < 25 nm |
| UHV Quality Factor: | > 30 000 |
6. PPP-QLC-MFMR – Low Coercivity Magnetic Force Microscopy Probe with a high Q-factor – for applications in UHV
Like the PPP-LC-MFMR this AFM tip is coated with a soft magnetic thin film enabling the measurement of magnetic domains within soft magnetic samples. Additionally it offers a Q-factor typically higher than 35 000 und UHV conditions.
| Typical Values: | |
|---|---|
| Force Constant: | 2.8 N/m |
| Resonance Frequency: | 75 kHz |
| Tipside Coating.: | Soft Magnetic |
| Coercivity: | 0.75 Oe |
| Magnetisation: | 225 emu/cm³ |
| Magnetic Tip Moment: | x0.75 |
| Guaranteed Tip Radius: | < 30 nm |
| Achievable Lateral Resolution: | < 35 nm |
| UHV Quality Factor: | > 30 000 |
For further information please refer to the MFM Probe Series flyer.