CDT-NCLR

Cantilever data:
Property Nominal Value Specified Range
Resonance Frequency [kHz] 210 155 - 275
Force Constant [N/m] 72 34 - 142
Length [µm] 225 215 - 235
Mean Width [µm] 37.5 30 - 45
Thickness [µm] 7 6 - 8
Order codes and shipping units:
Order Code AFM probes per pack Data sheet
CDT-NCLR-10 10 of all probes
CDT-NCLR-20 20 of all probes
CDT-NCLR-50 50

Conductive Diamond Coated Tip - Non-Contact/Tapping Mode - Long cantilever - Reflex Coating

NANOSENSORS™ CDT-NCLR AFM probes are designed for non-contact mode or tapping mode AFM (also known as: attractive or dynamic mode). The NCL type is offered as an alternative to the NANOSENSORS™ high frequency non-contact type (NCH). The CDT-NCLR AFM probe is recommended if the feedback loop of the microscope does not accept high frequencies (400 kHz) or if the detection system needs a minimum AFM cantilever length > 125 µm. Compared to the high frequency non-contact type NCH the maximum scanning speed is slightly reduced. This sensor type combines high operation stability with outstanding sensitivity and fast scanning ability.

For applications that require a wear resistant and an electrically conductive AFM tip we recommend this type. Some applications are Tunneling AFM and Scanning Capacitance Microscopy (SCM). The CDT Diamond Coating is highly doped and the total resistance measured in contact to a platinium surface is < 10 kOhm.

The typical macroscopic AFM tip radius of curvature is between 100 and 200 nm. Nanoroughness in the 10 nm regime improves the resolution on flat surfaces.

The AFM probe offers unique features:

  • real diamond coating, highly doped
  • AFM tip height 10 - 15 µm
  • high mechanical Q-factor for high sensitivity
  • alignment grooves on backside of silicon holder chip
  • precise alignment of the AFM cantilever position (within +/- 2 µm) when used with the Alignment Chip
  • compatible with PointProbe® Plus XY-Alignment Series

The reflective coating is an approximately 30 nm thick aluminum coating on the detector side of the AFM cantilever which enhances the reflectivity of the laser beam by a factor of about 2.5. Furthermore it prevents light from interfering within the AFM cantilever. As the coating is nearly stress-free the bending of the AFM cantilever due to stress is less than 2 degrees.

This AFM probe features alignment grooves on the back side of the holder chip. These grooves fit to the NANOSENSORS Alignment Chip.


W. S. Chae, N. A. Mohd Yusof, K. H. Lee, S. K. Kwan, H. W. Park, J. Z. Jiang, A. Caron
Corrosion effects on the nanotribology of a Ni62Nb38 metallic glass
Applied Surface Science, Volume 573, 30 January 2022, 151628
DOI: ttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.151628


Min Cheol Kang, Hai Woong Park and Arnaud Caron
How Good Are the Performances of Graphene and Boron Nitride Against the Wear of Copper?
Materials 2021, 14(5), 1148
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14051148


W. Yao, Q. P .Cao, S. Y. Liu, X .D. Wang, H. J .Fecht, A. Caron, D. X. Zhang, J. Z. Jiang
Tailoring nanostructured Ni-Nb metallic glassy thin films by substrate temperature
Acta Materialia, Volume 194, 1 August 2020, Pages 13-26
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2020.04.046


Amir Abdollahi, Neus Domingo, Irene Arias and Gustau Catalan
Converse flexoelectricity yields large piezoresponse force microscopy signals in non-piezoelectric materials
Nature Communications volume 10, Article number: 1266 (2019)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09266-y


S. K. Kwon, H.D. Kim, X.Q. Pei, H.E. Ko, H.W. Park, R. Bennewitz and A. Caron
Effect of cooling rate on the structure and nanotribology of Ag–Cu nano-eutectic alloys
Journal of Materials Science volume 54, pages 9168–9184 (2019)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-019-03533-5


H. E. Ko, H.W. Park, J.Z. Jiang, A. Caron
Nanoscopic wear behavior of face centered cubic metals
Acta Materialia, Volume 147, 1 April 2018, Pages 203-212
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2018.01.043


H. E. Ko, S.G. Kwan, H.W. Park and A. Caron
Chemical effects on the sliding friction of Ag and Au(111)
Friction volume 6, pages 84–97 (2018)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-017-0167-5
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s40544-017-0167-5.pdf


S. J. Kang, K.T. Rittgen, S.G. Kwan, H.W. Park, R. Bennewitz and A. Caron
Importance of surface oxide for the tribology of a Zr-based metallic glass
Friction volume 5, pages 115–122 (2017)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40544-017-0149-7


Arnaud Caron
Quantitative Hardness Measurement by Instrumented AFM-indentation
Jove, J. Vis. Exp. 2016, (117), e54706
DOI: 10.3791/54706
https://www.jove.com/t/54706/quantitative-hardness-measurement-by-instrumented-afm-indentation


Arnaud Caron and Roland Bennewitz
Lower nanometer-scale size limit for the deformation of a metallic glass by shear transformations revealed by quantitative AFM indentation
Beilstein Journal of Nanotechnology 2015, 6, 1721-1732
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3762%2Fbjnano.6.176


Ayako Omura, Megumi Fukuta, Koji Miyake, Takaya Kondo, Masanori Onuma
Dominant factor of contact resistance analyzed by conductive-AFM
2014 IEEE 60th Holm Conference on Electrical Contacts (Holm), 2014, pp. 1-5
DOI: 10.1109/HOLM.2014.7031075


Maneesh Mishra, Philip Egberts, Roland Bennewitz, and Izabela Szlufarska
Friction model for single-asperity elastic-plastic contacts
Physical Review B, 2012 86, 045452
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.86.045452


Kevin R. Moonoosawmy, Hannelore Katzke, Martha Es-Souni, Matthias Dietze, and Mohammed Es-Souni
Mesoporous and Macroporous Brookite Thin Films Having a Large Thermal Stability Range
Langmuir 2012, 28, 16, 6706–6713
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/la3006458