Small quantily unit	wafer unit
	12 chips/unit	375 chips/unit Order-received production
High-aspect-ratio Silicon-probe	OMCL-AC160BN-A2	OMCL-AC160BN-W2

High aspect ratio tip (Blade Tetra tip) cantilever
[ See more (image size 191kB)]

Outstanding features of Blade Tetra tip cantilever

1) High lateral resolution:

A blade-like tetrahedral tip of single crystal silicon (Blade tetra tip) is employed for high-resolution measurements.
The Blade tetra tip is more thinly designed than our standard Tetrahedral tips on our OMCL-AC***TS- series cantilever. The tetrahedral shape is ideal for achieving a point terminated tip. In addition to the geometrical dimensions of the tip, the tip is further sharpened with our exclusive sharpening process. Therefore, in viewing along the cantilever axis, the last 2um of the tip has a high aspect ratio typically 7:1 corresponding to a half tip angle of 6 degrees or less. The radius of the curvature of the Tetra tip is very small and the average is less than 15nm.
So this tip enables you to observe a narrower part of the sample with steep sidewalls. Of course, the Blade tetra tip is preferable for imaging grains of the thin films.

Click here to assure the effectiveness of the High aspect ratio tip (image size 220k).

2) Easy to access where you want to see:

As a common feature of the OLYMPUS Silicon tetrahedral tip cantilevers, the tip is located on the very end of the cantilever. This allows you to set the tip over a point of interest on the sample easily, if you use an AFM combined with an optical microscope.
Click here for an example (image size 40k)!

3) Good cost performance:

The Blade tetra tip is made by our batch fabrication technique. So good cost / performance is achieved.

Below are SEM images of a Tetra tip from the front and side.

• Tip shape : sharpened blade-like tetrahedral (tilted)
  It shows good symmetry viewed from the front and is inclined viewed from the side.
  Considering this geometric feature, choose the fast scan (X) direction.
  
  
• Tip height : 9 micrometers (7 to 15 micrometers)
  
• Tip radius : smaller than 15 nm (7.4 nm (typ.))
  
• Tip angle : less than 15 degrees (front), less than 35 degrees (side)
  
  
• Tip aspect ratio (front view) : 7:1 (typ.) (better than 5:1)
  
  
• Tip material : single crystal silicon (semiconductor, N type, 4 - 6 ohm.cm)

Dimensions of levers and chip (substrates)

Cantilevers and chip of OMCL-AC160BN- series

Lever thickness of OMCL-AC160BN- is 4.6um.

Cut off shoulders lessens contact between the chip and the specimen when the tip has engaged to the sample (illustration right above).

Metal coating

No Metal reflex coating
The reflectivity of raw silicon is about 25% for visible light.

Compatible for UVH-AFM.

Mechanical properties of levers

Stiffness [N/m] and resonant frequency [Hz] of each cantilevers are Calculated values.

	Lever					Tip
	thickness (um)	length (um)	width (um)	spring const. (N/m)	resonant freq. (kHz)	height (um)	radius (nm)
OMCL-AC160BN-	4.6	160	50	42 (12 - 103)	300 (200 - 400)	9 (7 - 15)	< 15

Mechanical Q factors of OMCL-AC160BN- is about 500. However, the final properties deeply depend on the holding condition of the chips in your AFM.
In vacuum, the Q factor increases upto 10 times.

Packaging

• Small quantity unit : OMCL-AC160BN-A2
  
  
  • Number of chips in a case : 12 chips
    
  • Case : Gel-Pak container
    
  • Chip status : Pre-separated

    Chips are separated from each other and are placed in the Gel-Pak.

    
    

    Inspections are carried out when the chips are in the wafer stage; those which pass the strict quality test are placed on the gel sheet ready for supply.

  
  

Applications

• Imaging corrugated samples in AC mode AFM
  The prominent tip geometry, its effectiveness is displayed when measuring striped line patterns: lined electrodes, optical disc pits, groove array etc. with steep structures.
  We recommend OMCL-AC160BN- for standard measurement in AC mode AFM as well as OMCL-AC160TS-. Grains on thin film surfaces with microscopic steep sidewalls can be revealed clearly.
  
  
• Nanometer-tool applications such as bio cell scraping
  

Miscellaneous

• Care for Static shock°°(see an example of tip damage)
  The sharper tip needs the more careful handling to prevent static damage to the tip. Use of an anti-electrostatic mat and a wrist band are recomennded as when handling laser diode chips. Handling under an ionizer is also recommended.
  Please avoid wearing clothes like woolen sweaters, fleece etc when handling the cantilever cases and chips.
• We guarantee more than 80% good cantilevers in this product series. Every good cantilever meets the specifications.
  
  
• FAQs on Blade tetra tip (here)

• FAQs on AC (dynamic) mode cantilevers (here)