Cantilever on cantilever structure
In one embodiment, the present invention includes an apparatus having a first cantilever structure to move in a vertical direction, including a first plate formed of a conductive material, an insulation beam adapted on a portion of the first plate, and a second cantilever structure adapted on the insulation beam and including a second plate formed of a conductive material, where an air gap is present between the first and second plates. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a first cantilever structure to move in a vertical direction, including a first plate formed of a conductive material;
an insulation beam adapted on a portion of the first plate; and
a second cantilever structure adapted on the insulation beam to move in the vertical direction, the second cantilever structure including a second plate formed of a conductive material, wherein an air gap is present between the first and second plates.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a probe tip adapted on the second plate, the probe tip to read and write data from and to a media wafer including a ferroelectric media surface.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first and second plates form a sense capacitor to read the data from the media wafer.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a drive trace coupled to the second plate to provide a drive signal to the probe tip, wherein the drive trace is suspended above at least a portion of the first cantilever structure.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the drive trace is to provide the drive signal to the probe tip substantially at a resonant frequency of the second cantilever structure.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the resonant frequency of the second cantilever structure is substantially greater than a resonant frequency of the first cantilever structure.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first plate and the first cantilever structure are electrically commonly coupled to enable movement in the vertical direction.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a beam support bridge to support a torsional beam of the second cantilever structure, wherein the second cantilever structure is to pivot about the torsional beam.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second plate of the second cantilever structure is adapted on the torsional beam such that a ratio between a first portion of the second cantilever structure extending from the torsional beam in a first direction and a second portion of the cantilever structure extending from the torsional beam in a second direction opposite the first direction exceeds one.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ratio is approximately 10.
11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ratio of the first and second portions are to enable mechanical amplification of piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) displacement of the probe tip.
12. A system comprising:
a media wafer including a ferroelectric medium layer and a common electrode layer;
a substrate including complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuitry;
a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) probe formed on the substrate and movable to a location adjacent the ferroelectric medium layer, the MEMS probe including:
a first cantilever structure to move in a vertical direction and having a first plate formed of a conductive material;
a second cantilever structure adapted above a portion of the first cantilever structure to move in the vertical direction, the second cantilever structure having a second plate formed of a conductive material; and
a probe tip adapted on the second plate, the probe tip to read data from the ferroelectric medium layer by piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM).
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein a resonant frequency of the second cantilever structure is substantially greater than a resonant frequency of the first cantilever structure, and the first and second plates form a sense capacitor to read the data, wherein a capacitance of the sense capacitor is based at least in part on an air gap between the first and second plates.
14. The system of claim 12 , further comprising a drive trace coupled to the second plate to provide a drive signal to the probe tip, wherein the drive trace is suspended above at least a portion of the first cantilever structure and wherein the drive trace is to provide the drive signal to the probe tip substantially at a resonant frequency of the second cantilever structure.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the second plate of the second cantilever structure is adapted on a torsional beam located on the first plate of the second cantilever structure such that a ratio between a first portion of the second cantilever structure extending from the torsional beam in a first direction and a second portion of the cantilever structure extending from the torsional beam in a second direction opposite the first direction exceeds one.