Polymer microcantilevers fabricated via multiphoton absorption polymerization

We have used multiphoton absorption polymerization to fabricate a series of microscale polymer cantilevers. Atomic force microscopy has been used to characterize the mechanical properties of microcantilevers with spring constants that were found to span more than four decades. From these data, we extracted a Young's modulus of E=0.44 GPa for these microscale cantilevers. The wide stiffness range and relatively low elastic modulus of the microstructures make them attractive candidates for a range of microcantilever applications, including measurements on soft matter. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.