Fabrication and characterization of 100-nm-thick GaAs cantilevers

We describe a new process for making submicron, micromechanical cantilevers out of GaAs epilayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The extremely high aspect ratios of these cantilevers (typically 100 nm thick and 100 mu m long) give spring constants as low as 10(-4) N/m. We present characterizations of the cantilevers' resonant frequencies, quality factors, and spring constants. The ability to fabricate m-V GaAs-based mechanical microstructures offers new opportunities for integration with electronics for strain-sensitive force detection. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.