In this work, we present the design and analysis of microcantilever beams based on arrow shape. Effect of rectangular step length and width as well as free end width of beam have been investigated on various characteristics of proposed microcantilever beams. The proposed microcantilever beams were fabricated from silicon dioxide material using wet bulk micromachining in 25 wt.% TMAH at 75 °C. Vibration analysis of the microcantilever beams was carried out using a laser vibrometer. A FEM software, ANSYS, was used primarily for numerical analysis of resonance frequency, and to examine the effect of rectangular step length as well as free end width of microcantilever beam on its resonance frequency. Furthermore, ANSYS was employed to determine the maximum deflection, torsional end rotation and quality factor of proposed microcantilever beams. Additionally, effects of bottom gap and rectangular step length on quality factor of proposed microcantilever beams at lower and higher bottom gaps have also been investigated. The fundamental transverse bending mode frequency for a proposed microcantilever beam comprising rectangular step length of 50 μm and free end width 0 μm is approximately 48% higher than that of the conventional rectangular profile microcantilever beam of width 40 μm. Furthermore, maximum deflection and torsional end rotation obtained for a proposed microcantilever beam having rectangular step length 190 μm and beam free end width 40 μm are found as 680% and 800%, respectively, higher than that of the rectangular beam of length 200 μm and thickness 40 μm. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.