Chemical and Biological Sensors Based on Microcantilevers

The recent developments in micro-mechanical or micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) systems have enabled the use of new transduction modes that involve mechanical energy and are based primarily on mechanical phenomena. As a result, an innovative family of chemical and biological sensors has emerged. In this work we discuss the recent advances in cantilever transducers. While MEMS represents a diverse family of designs, devices with simple cantilever configurations are especially attractive as transducers for chemical and biological sensors. We discuss four important aspects of cantilever transducers, which include operation principles and models, figures of merit, and applications. We also provide a brief analysis of historical predecessors of the modern cantilever sensors.

Keywords: microcantilever, MEMS, micromechanical, resonance, deformation, transducer, stress, chemical sensor, biosensor, analyte, response mechanism, noise, thermomechanical, figures of merit.