There are a number of myths in circulation within the AFM community, around the purchasing of AFM probes. We‘d like to put all these misconceptions in one place, so we are grabbing our proton packs, ready for some AFM probe myth-busting…
Myth One – “I have to buy my probes from my AFM instrument manufacturer”
Untrue. Other probes will work just as effectively. In some cases they may even give you better results than the ones made by the instrument manufacturer.
Larger AFM manufacturers want you to buy their probes in the same way HP want you to buy their printer ink cartridges. It makes good business sense and feels logical to the end user. However, many other probes will work at least as well and sometimes better with your instrument.
Myth Two – “There’s only one type of probe that works with my instrument so I have to put up with service issues, such as delivery lead time on my ‘go to’ probes”
Untrue. There is no reason to put up with poor service.
Other probes will work just as well as the ones your manufacturer recommends. Other companies can offer faster delivery times (we offer 24 hour UK delivery for example). This reduces the need for you to order so far in advance of needing them.
Myth Three – “I have to select the right probe for my AFM instrument rather than for my sample”
Untrue. To get the best results you need to select the right probe for your sample.
A manufacturer advised instrument-compatible probe that produces great results with one type of sample may not work so well with another. Changing the type of probe you are using can be the difference between getting the technical output, data and performance you’d expect from your AFM and not.
If you start imaging new materials, you may need to get further advice on how to get the best out of the instrument. Ideally this would be available through your instrument manufacturer, but equally you shouldn’t be afraid to approach probe manufacturers. They are knowledgeable and helpful and will quickly be able to assess what type of probe you need and whether they can provide this for you or not.
Myth Four – “In order for the probe to work with my instrument and sample type I have to buy like-for-like with the probe I’m currently using”
Untrue. Probes from other suppliers that are different types and have different characteristics (e.g. silicon vs silicon nitride) may be able to do the same job, with little negligible impact in terms of imaging performance on your standard samples.
It is important to note when choosing probes you must also consider whether an instrument requires a special mounting mechanism such as alignment grooves. Make sure to check this on your instrument as it will narrow down your probe search.
Within academia it’s standard practice to spend time altering all possible parameters on the AFM, including playing around with different probes. In many senses it’s an easier environment to do that in: There are often lots of packs of different types of probes lying around – and the premise of the job as a researcher is to investigate and play around with equipment and samples.
The same opportunity doesn’t always exist within industry. Calling an AFM probe expert in to come and take a look at your set up is a useful way to assess whether you are getting the best out of your machine, and gaging whether your probes are the best option for the job at hand.
It is one of the aspects I really enjoy about my job, getting to go in and see how people are using their AFM instruments and their probes. If you think it might be useful for me to come and have a look at your set up please get in touch with me james@nunano.com (I promise I’ll leave my Ghostbusters outfit at home…).