Predictions of the Compressible Fluid Model and its Comparison to Experimental Measurements of 𝑄 Factors and Flexural Resonance Frequencies for Microcantilevers

Figure 2

Schematic of the optical beam deflection readout procedure. The cantilever array is actuated by a piezo electric ceramic which is excited by a signal from the frequency generator. A laser spot focused onto the tip of the cantilever is deflected onto the surface of a PSD. The output from the PSD is then analysed with the signal from the frequency generator in a LabVIEW program which results in a frequency spectrum, the peaks of which correspond to the flexural resonance modes of the cantilever.