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Review of Scientific Instruments / Volume 64 / Issue 2

Rev. Sci. Instrum. 64, 403 (1993); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1144209 (3 pages)

A nondestructive method for determining the spring constant of cantilevers for scanning force microscopy

J. P. Cleveland1, S. Manne1, D. Bocek2, and P. K. Hansma1

1Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
2Digital Instruments, 520 East Montecito Street, Santa Barbara, California 93103

(Received 28 September 1992; accepted 19 October 1992)

The spring constant of microfabricated cantilevers used in scanning force microscopy (SFM) can be determined by measuring their resonant frequencies before and after adding small end masses. These masses adhere naturally and can be easily removed before using the cantilever for SFM, making the method nondestructive. The observed variability in spring constant—almost an order of magnitude for a single type of cantilever—necessitates calibration of individual cantilevers in work where precise knowledge of forces is required. Measurements also revealed that the spring constant scales with the cube of the unloaded resonant frequency, providing a simple way to estimate the spring constant for less precise work.

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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY, SCANNING TUNNELING MICROSCOPY, FORCES, PERFORMANCE TESTING, TRANSDUCERS, MECHANICAL CONTACTS, OSCILLATORS

PACS

  • 68.37.Ef

    Scanning tunneling microscopy (including chemistry induced with STM)

  • 68.37.Ps

    Atomic force microscopy (AFM)

  • 68.37.Rt

    Magnetic force microscopy (MFM)

  • 68.37.Uv

    Near-field scanning microscopy and spectroscopy

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.1144209

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0034-6748 (print)  
1089-7623 (online)

For access to fully linked references, you need to log in.
    G. Binnig, C. F. Quate, and Ch. Gerber, Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 930 (1986).

    G. Meyer and N. M. Amer, Appl. Phys. Lett. 53, 1045 (1988APPLAB000053000012001045000001).

    Variations in the elastic modulus or density are also a possibility. Since the Si3N4 cantilevers are made using chemical-vapor deposition, the exact stoichiometry is not known, The range can be as high as Si3−15N4[A. L. Weisenhorn, P. Maivald, H. J. Butt, and P. K. Hansma, Phys. Rev. B 45, 11 226 (1992)]. However, for the measured values of spring constant and resonant frequency to remain consistent with Eqs. (1) and (3), the elastic modulus would have to vary by a factor of 6 and the denstiy by 50%.


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