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Micromechanical potentiometric sensors

Patent ·
OSTI ID:872823
 [1]
  1. Knoxville, TN
+ Show Author Affiliations
A microcantilever potentiometric sensor utilized for detecting and measuring physical and chemical parameters in a sample of media is described. The microcantilevered spring element includes at least one chemical coating on a coated region, that accumulates a surface charge in response to hydrogen ions, redox potential, or ion concentrations in a sample of the media being monitored. The accumulation of surface charge on one surface of the microcantilever, with a differing surface charge on an opposing surface, creates a mechanical stress and a deflection of the spring element. One of a multitude of deflection detection methods may include the use of a laser light source focused on the microcantilever, with a photo-sensitive detector receiving reflected laser impulses. The microcantilevered spring element is approximately 1 to 100 .mu.m long, approximately 1 to 50 .mu.m wide, and approximately 0.3 to 3.0 .mu.m thick. An accuracy of detection of deflections of the cantilever is provided in the range of 0.01 nanometers of deflection. The microcantilever apparatus and a method of detection of parameters require only microliters of a sample to be placed on, or near the spring element surface. The method is extremely sensitive to the detection of the parameters to be measured.
Research Organization:
LOCKHEED MARTIN ENERGY RES COR
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-96OR22464
Assignee:
Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation (Oak Ridge, TN)
Patent Number(s):
US 6016686
OSTI ID:
872823
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (8)

MEMS sensors and wireless telemetry for distributed systems
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conference July 1998
Photothermal spectroscopy with femtojoule sensitivity using a micromechanical device journal November 1994
Sensing Discrete Streptavidin-Biotin Interactions with Atomic Force Microscopy journal February 1994
A nondestructive method for determining the spring constant of cantilevers for scanning force microscopy journal February 1993
Measuring intermolecular binding forces with the Atomic-Force Microscope: The magnetic jump method journal January 1994
Observation of a chemical reaction using a micromechanical sensor journal January 1994
Microfabrication of cantilever styli for the atomic force microscope
  • Albrecht, T. R.; Akamine, S.; Carver, T. E.
  • Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A: Vacuum, Surfaces, and Films, Vol. 8, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1116/1.576520
journal July 1990
A mechanical nanosensor in the gigahertz range: where mechanics meets electronics journal January 1994

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/73/422/436/
01
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