Batch Fabrication of Multilayer Polymer Cantilevers with Integrated Hard Tips for High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy

Increasing the speed of AFM imaging has significant benefits for academic research as well as industrial applications. In many imaging modes, the dynamic response of the cantilever probe dictates the achievable speed. Polymer cantilevers have gained great attention due to their high tracking ability and ease of fabrication. However, polymer cantilevers also have drawbacks. Polymers are not well suitable materials for the tip of the probe due to their high wear rate. This has limited the broader use of polymer cantilevers for AFM imaging. In this work, we combine the advantages of polymer cantilevers with the advantages of cantilevers made of conventional MEMS materials. We demonstrate the batch integration of a hard tip into a polymer-core multilayer cantilever probe, thereby merging speed, high-resolution and durability in a single cantilever.