Micromechanical testing of SU-8 cantilevers

SU-8 is a photoplastic polymer with a wide range of possible applications in microtechnology. Cantilevers designed for atomic force microscopes were fabricated in SU-8. The mechanical properties of these cantilevers were investigated using two microscale testing techniques: contact surface profilometer beam deflection and static load deflection at a point on the beam using a specially designed test machine. The SU-8 Young's modulus value from the microscale test methods is approximately 2-3 GPa.