Fabrication of polymer cantilevers for force-controlled atomic force microscope

Abstract

I SUMMARY 3The focus of the research effort in the Precision Engineering Center is to improve the capability of precision manufacturing process. This focus requires research into new sensors and measurement techniques for surface characterization, in-depth studies of fabrication techniques, and hardware and software solutions for enhanced machine control. The projects have been written as separate Sections but the interaction between projects is the strength of this organization. The multidisciplinary viewpoint provided by this unique group of faculty and students with their different backgrounds and experiences is the essence of the Precision Engineering Center. The product of the Center is new technology as well as a new cadre of researchers. The students involved in the Center, described in the back of this report, are of the highest quality. The project summaries are arranged under three broad categories: 3 * Measurement and Motion-Fabrication Techniques I •Machine Control. 3 MEASUREMENT AND MOTION The emphasis in these projects has been to develop techniques that can be used to characterize fabricated surfaces at nanometer resolution as well as to study drive systems that have the potential for nanometer positioning resolution. Atomic Force Microscopy-The AFM has become an increasingly popular tool for material characterization. It allows the imaging of a surface with a resolution as high as the atomic limit. However, the interpretation of the images is influenced by the parameters of the microscope and the tip. For example, the choice of imaging mode-constant force height or differential force mapping-may have a significant impact on the resulting image as will the relative radius of the tip and the surface features. I I.

Photon imaging using post-processed CMOS chips

“…Quantitative knowledge on the outgassing behavior of SU-8 is not only important for electron multipliers but also for many other applications. Example of this are the use of SU-8 for cantilevers that operate in vacuum or other hermetically sealed envelopes [101] and for the use of SU-8 in wafer-scale packaging [102].…”