One of the most important components of an AFM is the probe. AFM probes are made of a chip or substrate, a cantilever, and a tip. Usually, these are manufactured in one piece of silicon (or silicon nitride, Si3N4), by MEMS manufacturing techniques. In this way a wafer (with 400 or more probes) is manufactured at one time, with reasonable reproducibility of probe characteristics across the probes.
Design of typical AFM probe, showing the substrate, cantilever and tip (probe).
Importantly, nearly all probes are interchangeable, so it’s possible to use probes from different manufacturers in your instrument. Thus, there is a fairly competitive market in AFM probes, and you can find a variety of probes from value to high-cost offerings, and an enormous range of probes, with different coatings, and physical properties, suitable for a wide range of applications. There are so many different probes available that it’s not worth listing them all. This page links to all of the manufacturers of probes (that I know of). Some companies resell probes from other manufacturers, such distributors are listed on this page. But here I list only the manufacturers. The manufacturers are listed in no particular order.
AFM Probe Manufacturers
Bruker |
Bruker manufacture a huge range of probes, as well as reselling probes from various other producers. They have many representatives, as well as selling direct in some territories |
Applied NanoStructures |
AppNano manufacture a wide range of standard and speciality probes- they are resold by various companies, and also sell direct |
Nanoworld |
Nanoworld manufacture a very large range of standard and speciality probes - resold by various companies. Also branded as nanosensors |
Mikromasch |
Mikromasch manufacture a very wide range of probes, both standard and speciality. They sell direct and are re-sold |
NT-MDT www.ntmdt-tips.com |
NT-MDT manufacture many standard and specialty probes, including with a wide range of coatings |
Olympus |
Olympus made many sepcialised AFM probes, notably the biolever, but closed their AFM probe division in 2022 |
Artech Carbon |
Artech Carbon make single-crystal diamond probes, which are very sharp and wear-resistant |
Team Nanotec |
Team Nanotec make a variety of specialist AFM probes, including metrology tips, high-aspect ratio probes, MFM probes, etc. They both sell direct and are re-sold |
Asylum Research |
Asylum make various speciality probes of their own design, as well as reselling various other brands. Asylum are now part of Oxford Instruments |
Micro2Nano www.micro2nano.com |
Korean company, Micro2Nano manufacture tetra brand probes which are resold, and offer a custom probe service |
Budget Sensors budgetsensors.com |
Budget Sensors manufacture a wide range of probes, including mix-and-match boxes. They have an online shop, and are resold |
sQube |
sQube manufacture a range of colloidal probe cantilevers, check their webpage for link to distributor |
Kelvin Nanotechnologies www.kelvinnanotechnology.com |
Based on the campus of Glasgow University, Kelvin Nanotechnologies manufacture scanning thermal probes |
NaugaNeedles |
Nauganeedles produce specialised probes with semiconductor nanowires grown from the end, useful for metrology and electrical applications |
NuNano |
Nunano is a Bristol (UK)-based startup specialising in SPM probe manufacture. Offer custom probe design. |
Carbon Design Innovations |
CDI manufacture AFM probes modified with carbon nanotubes on the tip |
Smart Tip www.smarttip.nl |
Based in the Netherlands, Smart Tip make specialised probes, such as magnetic MFM probes |
Novascan |
Company that specialises in colloid probes and chemically modified probes |
SCL-Sensor Tech. |
Company that specialises in self-sensing and self-actuating probes |
Rocky Mountain Technology |
Rocky Mountain Nanotechnology specialise in conductive probes, including some specialised probes with solid platinum tips |
Once again, distributors can be found here.
If I any have missed any manufacturers ,or made any other errors, please feel free to make suggestions, via the contact page.