Microcantilevers as gas‐phase sensing platforms: Simplification and optimization of the production of polymer coated porous‐silicon‐over‐silicon microcantilevers

Abstract

The asymmetric roughening of silicon microcantilevers using different vapor stain-etching conditions is studied with the aim of optimizing face selective coating of microcantilevers by polymers through simple dipping. The effect of roughening is studied by following the time-dependent guestinduced bending of silicone microcantilevers coated with a poly-4-vinylpyridine sensing layer. A correlation between the surface roughness of the microcantilevers and their timedependent guest-induced bending is gained from combining high resolution scanning electron microscopy studies of the surface of the microcantilevers as well as their cross-sections with time-dependent guest-induced microcantilever bending. The purpose of the present work is to lay the foundations for a small and relatively simple gas-phase sensing tool based on a microcantilever platform capable of offering wide range sensing capabilities.

Plasticization of a polymer layer harnessed to a silicon microcantilever as a highly sensitive and selective means to detect nitroaromatic derivatives

“…Commercial microcantilever arrays [eight beams per chip, CZ growth method, 1,0,0 oriented n ‐doped silicon, resistivity: 1–100 Ω/cm, Octensis, Micromotive GmbH, Mainz, Germany, beam dimension: 500 µm long, 90 µm wide ( s = 0.045 mm 2 ) and 1 µm thick] were asymmetrized prior to coating …”