Fabrication and micromechanical characterization of polycrystalline diamond microcantilevers

The exceptional chemical, mechanical and thermal properties of diamond make this material the ideal choice for resonant MEMS. Micro-cantilevers designed for biochemical applications have been fabricated using CVD diamond. In this work, the mechanical properties of these cantilevers were investigated by two different techniques: bending test using a Contact Surface Profilometer and resonant test, using a Laser Doppler Vibrometer. The Young’s Modulus of diamond thin film was estimated by these two tests. For the resonance test, the estimated values are comprised between 930 and 1300 GPa while bending test gives values between 950 and 1030 GPa. The load–displacement characteristics and the fracture point (or ultimate stress) have also been investigated.