PIEZOELECTRIC MICROCANTILEVER ARRAY FOR MULTIPROBE SCANNING FORCE MICROSCOPY

We have developed and operated a newly conceived multiprobe scanning F orce microscope (SFM) using microfabricated piezoelectric cantilevers. An array of piezoelectric microcantilevers with a piezoelectric ZnO l ayer on an SiO2 film makes it possible to build a multiprobe SFM syste m. Multiprobe SFMs are required for the application of SFM to the prob e lithography and high density data storage. Each cantilever probe of multiprobe system should have a detector for sensing of its own deflec tion and an actuator for positioning of its tip. The piezoelectric can tilever can detect its own vibration amplitude by measuring the piezoe lectric current, and it can also drive its tip by applying a voltage t o the piezoelectric layer. Therefore, the piezoelectric cantilever is suitable for each cantilever of the array in the multiprobe SFM. We ha ve verified the applicability of the piezoelectric cantilever to each lever of the array by characterizing the sensitivities of the deflecti on sensing and actuation. The ZnO piezoelectric cantilever with tile l ength of 125 mu m works as the z scanner with the sensitivity of 20 nm /V. We have also fabricated an experimental piezoelectric microcantile ver array with ten cantilevers. We have constructed parallel operation SFM system with two cantilevers of the Fabricated array and successfu lly obtained parallel images of 1 mu m pitch grating in constant heigh t mode.