Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for machining polymers and, in particular, to a process for machining fluorine-containing polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene using a beam of energetic ions, wherein at least some of the ions are high linear energy transfer (LET) ions. The present invention enables very deep high aspect ratio microfeatures to be produced. The process may also be used on a mesoscopic and macroscopic (normal) scale. Components to be machined may have relatively large dimensions (typically at least several mm thick) as the aspect ratio and etch rate are very high. While the process is a direct writing process, a mask may nevertheless be used for high volume parallel processing. The process does not require the use of a resist layer. The process is less expensive and faster than alternative methods such as synchrottron x-ray lithography.

Abstract: A method of comparing the binding strengths of a plurality of different ligands to a receptor, in which several micro-cantilever structures (10) are coated with the receptor on at least a part of a surface (13) of each micro-cantilever structure (10). Each micro-cantilever structure (10) is then contacted with a different ligand solution, and the amounts by which the micro-cantilever structures deflect are compared. The deflection may be detected by an optical lever (16,18; 28). The micro-cantilever structures (10) may be in the form of an array, each structure (10) being in a respective well (24), to which ligand solutions are added.