A metallic microcantilever electric contact probe array incorporated in an atomic force microscope

We present the realization and performance of a multiprobe microcontactor made of an array of metallic microcantilevers inserted in an atomic force microscope (AFM). This instrument permits simultaneous AFM imaging and electrical characterization of nanoscale devices. It is therefore well adapted for future generations of molecular devices. The probes are 2-mu m-wide metallic cantilevers that are brought in contact with 3 mu m x 3 mu m metallic pads of a nanocircuit using a nanopositioning table. The performance of the instrument, tested on mesoscopic metallic wires and carbon nanotubes, shows that the reproducibility of the electrical contact between the probes and the circuit is better than 99.2%. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(00)00305-1].