CMOS-INTEGRATED POLY-SIGE CANTILEVERS WITH READ/WRITE SYSTEM FOR PROBE STORAGE DEVICE

摘要

A poly-SiGe technology enabling a dense array of micro-cantilevers and tips on CMOS is demonstrated. Built from a dual-thickness structural layer, the cantilevers feature a very small initial bending and have a compliant torsional suspension with a stiffness of 3×10~(-10) Nm/rad. Sharp tips are formed in a low-temperature amorphous silicon layer by isotropic plasma etching. An electrical read/write system is formed by connecting the tip to the CMOS with a suspended platinum trace, running on top of the cantilever.