Tuning the shape and curvature of micromachined cantilevers using multiple plasma treatments

This study reports a novel method for tuning the deflection profile of micromachined cantilever by means of multiple plasma surface modification. In short, the shape and curvature of the cantilever can be tuned using the combination of plasma treatments along the beam length and the beam width, respectively. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, various NH3 plasma treatments were employed to tune the deflection profile of cantilevers made of SiO2 film. The deflection profiles predicted by the simulation and analysis agree with that determined from measurement.