Self-aligned cantilever positioning for on-substrate measurements using DVD pickup head

In this paper, we present a novel approach for measuring the resonant frequency of cantilevers fabricated in polymeric materials. We re-designed the use of a commercial DVD-ROM pickup head and combine it with a glass-polymer substrate in order to obtain a light and portable device to measure the resonant frequency of polymer cantilevers. The use of the Pyrex-SU-8 clamping substrate allows an easy replacement of the cantilever chips and a fast alignment process to the DVD-ROM laser beam. We show measurements of thermal noise for SU-8 and TOPAS cantilevers in air and liquid environment. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.