Fabrication of tapered and conductive microcantilever

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are unified micro devices or systems combining both electrical and mechanical components. Microcantilevers are the most simplified device of MEMS. Moreover, in the last few years the technology has been developed for the fabrication of microcantilever as a sensing device. The sensitivity of the microcantilever depends upon its geometry as well as the material. Varying profile has better sensitivity than the uniform profile. Also, material with less modulus of elasticity gives more deflection. Most of the polymer possess less modulus of elasticity than silicone and hence better suited for fabricating microcantilever as a sensor. However due to lack of conductivity, conductive fillers need to be added in order to fabricate conductive microcantilever. This paper describes an economical and simpler method of fabricating varying width and depth profile as well as conducting microcantilever using sequential micro-milling as well as micro-moulding process. In this method the replica of micro-cantilever beam is made on a Brass substrate using micro milling method and then micro-cantilever is produced by using polymer nanocomposite as moulding material followed by micro-moulding process. Polymer poldimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and conductive filler Carbon Black (CB) is used to prepare polymer nanocomposite in this work.