Surface micromachining of chip-edge silicon microcantilevers using xenon difluoride etching of silicon-on-insulator

We demonstrate a straightforward surface micromachining process for the rapid prototyping of thin 'chip-edge' silicon microcantilevers protruding from edge silicon-on-insulator chip. The uses single photolithographic mask-with xenon difluoride used to both pattern and release them by etching part underlying wafer. During step, are protected combination photoresist buried dioxide. use common microfabrication materials (silicon-on-insulator positive photoresist) chemicals (buffered hydrofluoric acid difluoride), along with maximum temperature 100°C, makes generic, soft which isin principle-compatible preserving integrity any pre-patterned circuitry present on microcantilever top surface. Doppler vibrometry measurements reveal well-defined resonant frequency quality factor comparable that similar fabricated using other means. Our enabling technological allows chip-edge microcantilevers-potentially integrating sensitive novel probe technologies-by avoiding relatively cumbersome, expensive, potentially circuitdamaging front-to-back processing/deep combination.