Fabrication of piezoresistive nanocantilevers for ultra-sensitive force detection

This paper presents the design, fabrication and characterization method of piezoresistive nanocantilevers for ultra-sensitive force detection application. A shallow boron-doped layer as thin as 40 nm is achieved using spin-on diffusion. The piezoresistive nanocantilevers are patterned by electron beam (EB) lithography and fast atom beam (FAB) etching. The resonance response of the nanocantilevers is characterized by both optical readout using a laser Doppler vibrometer and piezoresistive self-detection. A soft spring effect is detected in the nanocantilevers.