Patent ID: 7823470

Claim:
A cantilever, comprising: a lever portion with spring property extending in one direction from a proximal end of the lever portion to a distal end thereof; a holder portion supporting the proximal end of the lever portion in an overhanging manner; a probe portion arranged at the distal end of the lever portion and capable of coming into contact with a sample during use of the cantilever, the probe portion having an opposing surface that faces the sample and that has a spherical configuration of a predetermined radius; and a retaining portion having one end fixed to the distal end of the lever portion and which retains the probe portion with the opposing surface exposed, wherein the retaining portion is formed as a cylinder at least a part of an inner peripheral surface of which constitutes the contact surface, the retaining portion has at another end thereof an opening of a size equal to or smaller than a diameter of the probe portion, and the retaining portion has on an inner side thereof a contact surface held in contact with an outer surface of the probe portion and surrounding a periphery of the probe portion, and wherein the probe portion is retained by a chemical binding force directly exerted between the contact surface and the outer surface.