Fabrication and electromechanical actuation of epitaxial SrTiO₃ (0 0 1) microcantilevers

We report on the fabrication, mechanical characterization and electrostatic actuation of dielectric STO(0 0 1) thin film microcantilevers (MCs). Finite element analysis (FEA) is used for mechanical analysis and for calculating the distribution and the magnitude of the dielectric forces on the actual devices. The actuation of insulating oxide microstructures is of potential interest in the field of ferroelectric/multiferroic materials as well as for developing novel detecting schemes on dielectric oxides. (paper)