Mechanical characterization of biocompatible thin film materials by scanning along micro-machined cantilevers for micro-/nano-system

作者：He JH^*; Luo JK; Le HR; Moore DF

来源：Materials Science and Engineering A-Structural Materials Properties Microstructure and Processing, 2006, 423(1-2): 134-142.

DOI：10.1016/j.msea.2005.10.081

• mechanical characterization
• biocompatible materials
• laser micro-machining
• cantilevers
• MEMS/NEMS
• Young's modulus

Mechanical characterization is vital for the design of rnicro-/nano-electro-mechanical system (MEMS/NEMS). This paper describes a new characterization method to extract the mechanical properties of the thin film materials, which is simple, inexpensive and applicable to a wide range of materials including biocompatible ones described in this paper. The beams of the material under tests, are patterned by laser micro-machining and released by alkaline etch. A surface profilometer is used to scan along micro-machined cantilevers and produce a bending profile, from which the Young's modulus can be extracted. Biocompatible SiNx, SiC and nanocrystal diamond cantilevers have been fabricated and their Young's modulus has been evaluated as 154 +/- 12, 360 +/- 50 and 504 +/- 50 GPa, respectively, which is consistent with those measured by nano-indentation. Residual stress gradient has also been extracted by surface profilometer, which is comparable with the results inferred from ZYGO interferometer measurements. This method can be extended to atomic force microscopy stylus or nanometer-stylus protilometer for Bio-NEMS mechanical characterization.

• 出版日期2006-5-15