The detectable force resolution of a mechanical oscillator used in scanning force microscopy call be improved by increasing its natural frequency f(o) and quality factor Q, and by decreasing the spring constant k and the temperature of operation T. For an oscillator having a structure that can be modeled as a concentrated mass-spring model, decreasing the mass of the oscillator is desirable since high f(o) can then be obtained without increasing the spring constant k. We have developed a novel fabrication technique for fabricating a nanometric oscillator by selective etching of silicon on insulator (SOI) wafers. The oscillator has the form of a tip supported by an elastic neck, and the tip serves as the mass. The tip and the neck length measure approximately 100 nm when fabricated using a separation by implanted oxygen wafer, and are around 1000 nm when fabricated using a bonded SOI wafer. The tips were made of silicon and the necks were made of silicon dioxide. The oscillator could be tailored to have its natural frequency in the range of 0.01-1 GHz and a spring constant between 10(-1) and 10(2) N/m. The thin neck, whose diameter is of the order of 10 nm is not brittle and can survive angular bending of around 30 degrees.