THEODORE DAVIDSON
Institute of Materials Science
University of Connecticut
Storrs
STM (scanning tunneling microscopy) made it possible to image atom arrangements on conductive materials; now, AFM (atomic force microscopy) extends nanoscale imaging to nonconductors. The physical principles and some intriguing examples are given in a timely review.
D. Rugar, P. Hansma, "Atomic force microscopy," Physics Today, 43, 23-30, October 1990. (IBM Almaden Research Center, San Jose, Calif.; University of California, Santa Barbara)
Thin films of polycrystalline diamond have been a technical reality for several years. Now it has been shown that selective plasma deposition of diamond on etchable silicon substrates can be used to fabricate windows and miniature cantilever beams. The Young's modulus of the polycrystalline diamond microcantilevers was measured to be 1.20 to 1.25 x 107 kilograms per centimeter squared.
J.L. Davidson, R. Ramesham, C. Ellis, "Synthetic diamond micromechanical membranes, cantilever beams, and bridges," Journal of the Electrochemical Society, ...
