  Due to their outstanding mechanical properties, diamond and diamond-like
materials find significant technological applications ranging from
well-established industrial fields (cutting tools, coatings, etc.) to more
advanced mechanical devices as micro- and nano-electromechanical systems. The
use of energetic ions is a powerful and versatile tool to fabricate
three-dimensional micro-mechanical structures. In this context, it is of
paramount importance to have an accurate knowledge of the effects of
ion-induced structural damage on the mechanical properties of this material,
firstly to predict potential undesired side-effects of the ion implantation
process, and possibly to tailor the desired mechanical properties of the
fabricated devices. We present an Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
characterization of free-standing cantilevers in single-crystal diamond
obtained by a FIB-assisted lift-off technique, which allows a determination of
the Young's modulus of the diamond crystal after the MeV ion irradiation
process concurrent to the fabrication of the microstructures, and subsequent
thermal annealing. The AFM measurements were performed with the beam-bending
technique and show that the thermal annealing process allows for an effective
recovery of the mechanical properties of the pristine crystal.
