Opto-nanomechanical test instrument in mechanical characterization of DLC coated MEMS devices

Nanomechanical test instruments can precisely measure force and displacement and produce repeatable load-unload curves that can be used in characterizing mechanical behaviour at the nanoscale. In this study, a newly developed translucent nanomechanical test instrument was used in deriving reproducible stiffness values for ultra nano crystalline diamond (UNCD)-made atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilevers that are used for mechanical properties characterization of DLC films. The instrument which is calibrated according to the ISO-14577 standard is integrated with nano/micropositioners and multi-view optical microscopes to facilitate precise manipulation of those AFM cantilevers that were dozens of micrometers in size. Experimental results on UNCD-made AFM cantilever stiffness measurements are provided and compared with theoretical and batch production values.