3D finite element analysis of electrostatic deflection of commercial and FIB-modifiedcantilevers for electric and Kelvin force microscopy: I. Triangular shaped cantilevers withsymmetric pyramidal tips

Abstract

The investigation of the nanoscale distribution of electrostatic forces on materialsurfaces is of paramount importance for the development of nanotechnology, sincethese confined forces govern many physical processes on which a large number oftechnological applications are based. For instance, electric force microscopy (EFM) andmicro-electro-mechanical-systems (MEMS) are technologies based on an electrostaticinteraction between a cantilever and a specimen.In the present work we report on a 3D finite element analysis of the electrostatic deflectionof cantilevers for electric and Kelvin force microscopy. A commercial triangular shapedcantilever with a symmetric pyramidal tip was modelled. In addition, the cantilever wasmodified by a focused ion beam (FIB) in order to reduce its parasitic electrostatic force,and its behaviour was studied by computation analysis. 3D modelling of the electrostaticdeflection was realized by using a multiphysics finite element analysis software and it wasapplied to the real geometry of the cantilevers and probes obtained by using basic CADtools. The results of the modelling are in good agreement with experimental data.