ATTONEWTON FORCE DETECTION USING ULTRATHIN SILICON CANTILEVERS

A measured force resolution of 5.6 x 10(-18) N/root Hz at 4.8 K in vac uum using a single-crystal silicon cantilever only 600 Angstrom thick is demonstrated. The spring constant of this cantilever was 6.5 x 10(- 6) N/m, or more than 1000 times smaller than that of typical atomic fo rce microscope cantilevers. The cantilever fabrication includes the in tegration of in-line tips so that the cantilever can be oriented perpe ndicular to a sample surface. This orientation helps suppress cantilev er snap-in so that high force sensitivity can be realized for tip-samp le distances less than 100 Angstrom. (C) 1997 American Institute of Ph ysics.