Fabrication of a novel scanning probe device for quantitative nanotribology

In this work a new scanning probe device for quantitative frictional force measurements is presented. The design of this So-called "tribolever" is opt imized for lateral or frictional force detection, with relatively less sens itivity for vertical and torsional motions. Fabrication process for the com plicated 3-D structure in a silicon wafer has been developed using a combin ation of anisotropic deep dry etchings and crysrallographic wet etching. Ad ditional fabrication techniques have been explored to tune the mechanical p roperties of a given tribolever device to the right operation regime. (C) 2 000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.