Cantilever Array Sensors are miniaturized, ultrasensitive and fast-responding sensors for application in chemistry, physics, biochemistry and medicine

Microcantilever sensors respond by bending due to absorption of molecules or by shift in resonance frequency. They can be operated in different environments such as gaseous environment, liquids or vacuum. In gas, micro-cantilever sensors can be operated as an artificial nose whereby the bending pattern of a microfabricated array of eight polymer-coated silicon cantilevers is characteristic of the different vapors from solvents, flavors and beverages. When operated in liquid, microcantilever sensors are able to detect biochemical reactions. Each cantilever is functionalized with a specific biochemical probe receptor, sensitive for detection of the corresponding target molecule. Applications lie in the fields of label- and amplification-free detection of DNA hybridization, detection of proteins as well as antigen-antibody reactions and detection of larger entities, such as bacteria and fungi.