Fabrication of Bimetallic Cantilevers and Its Characterization

Most SPM sensors utilize a current-imaging technique or force-imaging techniques that allow imaging nanoscale topography of the surface using a nanoscale tip on cantilever. In this work, the various cantilevers were microfabricated with a SiO2 thin film or a Si3N4 thin film. Thermal imaging technique using microfabricated Si3N4 cantilevers has been investigated. The temperature change and heat flow across the fabricated bimetallic cantilever will create angular bending of the bimetallic metal-coated lever. Its thermal response was qualitatively examined during an endothermic chemical reaction using optical deflection methods. The chemical used in this experiment is the tetradecanol CH3(CH2)(13)OH, with a known theoretical phase transition temperature of similar to 313 K.