Surface stress induced deflections of cantilever plates with applications to the atomic force microscope: V-shaped plates

Surface stress measurements using atomic force microscopy (AFM) require theoretical knowledge of the surface stress induced deformation of AFM cantilever plates. In a companion paper [J. E. Sader, J. Appl. Phys. 89, 2911 (2001)], a detailed theoretical study of the effects of homogeneous surface stress on rectangular AFM cantilever plates was presented. Since cantilevers of both rectangular and V-shaped geometries are used widely in practice, a corresponding theoretical study for V-shaped cantilevers is presented here. In line with the companion study, an assessment of Stoney's equation is given, together with the presentation of greatly improved analytical formulas and rigorous finite element results. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.