THEORETICAL-ANALYSIS OF THE STATIC DEFLECTION OF PLATES FOR ATOMIC-FORCE MICROSCOPE APPLICATIONS

The analysis of the static deflection of cantilever plates is of fundamental importance in application to the atomic force microscope (AFM). In this paper we present a detailed theoretical study of the deflection of such cantilevers. This shall incorporate the presentation of approximate analytical methods applicable in the analysis of arbitrary cantilevers, and a discussion of their limitations and accuracies. Furthermore, we present results of a detailed finite element analysis for a current AFM cantilever, which will be of value to the users of the AFM.