Enhanced Sensitivity of Microcantilever Surface Stress Sensor

Abstract:

In this paper a novel L-shape microcantilever that is more sensitive in compare of traditional rectangular microcantilever is proposed. In traditional microcantilever surface stress sensor a slight momentum is induced by distributed area stress lead to a slight deformation. In contrast, the proposed sensor substitution the slight momentum with concentrated point force in lateral direction on the tip of the microcantilever. This lead to, mechanically amplifies of the influence of area stress and more displacement. In addition, it has been theoretically proved that proposed microcantilever sensor with same lateral area in compare with traditional microcantilever surface stress sensor can be 2 to 100 orders more sensitive. The proposed L-shape microcantilever configuration of sensor could be incorporated in most of the microfabrication processes. However in this paper we use a low cost fabrication method based on polymeric microcantilever with metal piezoresistive detection.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 110-116)
• Pages: 892-898
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.110-116.892
• Online since: October 2011
• Authors: P. Heydari, Ali Shokuhfar
• Keywords: Enhanced Sensitivity, L-Shape, Micro Cantilever

References

[1] G. Shekhawat, S.H. Tark, V. P. Dravid; MOSFET-Embedded Microcantilevers for Measuring Deflection in Biomolecular Sensors,; Science 311 (2006) 1592–1595.

DOI: 10.1126/science.1122588

[2] D.R. Baselt, G.U. Lee, K.M. Hansen, L.A. Chrisey and R.J. Colton; A High-Sensitivity Micromachined Biosensor,; PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE, VOL. 85, NO. 4, APRIL 1997; 672-680.

DOI: 10.1109/5.573755

[3] Louia, F.T. Goerickeb, T.V. Rattoa, J. Leeb, B.R. Harta W.P. Kingb; The effect of piezoresistive microcantilever geometry on cantilever sensitivity during surface stress chemical sensing,; Sensors and Actuators A 147 (2008) 516–521.

DOI: 10.1016/j.sna.2008.06.016

[4] S. Sukuabol, D. K. Sood and G. Rosengarten; Geometric Optimisation of SU-8 Piezoresistive Cantilever Sensors for Biochemical Applications,; Intelligent Sensors, Sensor Networks and Information Processing, 2005 , pp.247-252.

DOI: 10.1109/issnip.2005.1595587

[5] M. Yang, X. Zhang, K. Vafai and C. S Ozkan; High sensitivity piezoresistive cantilever design and optimization for analyte-receptor binding,; J. Micromech. Microeng. 13 (2003) 864–872.

DOI: 10.1088/0960-1317/13/6/309

[6] Y. Zhang, Q. Ren and Ya-pu Zhao; Modelling analysis of surface stress on a rectangular cantilever beam,; J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 37 (2004) 2140–2145.

DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/37/15/014

[7] Chen G.Y., Thundat T., Wachter E.A., and Warmack R.J., Adsorption- Induced Surface Stress and Its Effects on Resonance Frequency of Microcantilevers, Journal of Applied Physics, 77 (8), pp.3618-3622, (1995).

DOI: 10.1063/1.359562

[8] Stubbs, D.D., Lee, S., Hunt, W.D., Molecular recognition for electronic noses using surface acoustic wave immunoassay sensors,; IEEE Sensors Journal, Vol. 2 No. 4, (2002), 294-300.

DOI: 10.1109/jsen.2002.803745

[9] Westhoff, E., Water: an integral part of nucleic acid structure, Ann. Rev. Biophys. Biophysical Chem., 17, (1998), Pg. 125-144.

[10] Gersten, D. and Marchalonis, J., An improved method for immobilizing IgG antibodies on protein A-agarose, J. of Immunol Methods , 127, (1990) 215-219.

[11] P. A. Rasmussen, Cantilever-based Sensors for Surface Stress Measurements, Ph.D. Thesis, Department of Micro and Nanotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, August (2003).

[12] S.H. Lee, D. D. Stubbs, J. Cairney, and W. D. Hunt, Rapid Detection of Bacterial Spores Using a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) Immunoassay, IEEE SENSORS JOURNAL, VOL. 5, NO. 4, Pg. 737-743, (2005).

DOI: 10.1109/jsen.2005.848124

[13] S. V, A. Rajorya, P. Pant, S. Mukherji, V. R. Rao; Polymer microcantilever biochemical sensors with integrated polymer composites for electrical detection,; Solid State Sciences 11 (2009) 1606–1611.

DOI: 10.1016/j.solidstatesciences.2009.06.009

[14] J. Thaysen, A.D. Yalcinkaya, P. Vettiger and A. Menon; Polymer-based stress sensor with integrated readout,; J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 35 (2002) 2698–2703.

DOI: 10.1088/0022-3727/35/21/302

[15] N.S. Kale, S. Nag, R. Pinto V.R. Rao; Fabrication and Characterization of a Polymeric Microcantilever With an Encapsulated Hotwire CVD Polysilicon, Journal Of Microeletromechanical Systems, vol. 18, n. 1, pp.79-87, (2009).

DOI: 10.1109/jmems.2008.2008577

[16] D. R. Baselt, G. U Lee, and R. J. Colton, Biosensor based on force microscope technology, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp.789-793, (1996).

DOI: 10.1116/1.588714

[17] Sanii and P. D. Ashby, High Sensitivity Deflection Detection of Nanowires.

[18] D. Sameoto, S-W. Lee and M. Parameswaran; Electrical interconnection through optimized wirebonding onto SU-8 structures and actuators,; J. Micromech. Microeng. 18 (2008) 075023 (8pp).

DOI: 10.1088/0960-1317/18/7/075023

[19] A. Johansson, J. Janting, P. Schultz, K. Hoppe, I. N. Hansen and A. Boisen1, SU-8 cantilever chip interconnection,; J. Micromech. Microeng. 16 (2006).

DOI: 10.1088/0960-1317/16/2/016