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Review of Scientific Instruments / Volume 83 / Issue 1 / ARTICLES / Sensors and Actuators/MEMS/NEMS

Rev. Sci. Instrum. 83, 015002 (2012); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3673603 (7 pages)

Fast on-wafer electrical, mechanical, and electromechanical characterization of piezoresistive cantilever force sensors

G. Tosolini1, L. G. Villanueva2, F. Perez-Murano1, and J. Bausells1

1Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona IMB-CNM (CSIC), 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
2California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA

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(Received 1 July 2011; accepted 6 December 2011; published online 11 January 2012)

Validation of a technological process requires an intensive characterization of the performance of the resulting devices, circuits, or systems. The technology for the fabrication of micro and nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS) is evolving rapidly, with new kind of device concepts for applications like sensing or harvesting are being proposed and demonstrated. However, the characterization tools and methods for these new devices are still not fully developed. Here, we present an on-wafer, highly precise, and rapid characterization method to measure the mechanical, electrical, and electromechanical properties of piezoresistive cantilevers. The setup is based on a combination of probe-card and atomic force microscopy technology, it allows accessing many devices across a wafer and it can be applied to a broad range of MEMS and NEMS. Using this setup we have characterized the performance of multiple submicron thick piezoresistive cantilever force sensors. For the best design we have obtained a force sensitivity ℜF = 158μV/nN, a noise of 5.8 μV (1 Hz–1 kHz) and a minimum detectable force of 37 pN with a relative standard deviation of σr ≈ 8%. This small value of σr, together with a high fabrication yield >95%, validates our fabrication technology. These devices are intended to be used as bio-molecular detectors for the measurement of intermolecular forces between ligand and receptor molecule pairs.

© 2012 American Institute of Physics

Article Outline

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
    1. Spring constant: cantilever mechanical model
    2. Sensitivity: electromechanical model
    3. Noise and MDF
  3. CHARACTERIZATION METHODS
    1. Mechanical properties
    2. Electrical properties
    3. Sensitivity and MDF
  4. CONCLUSIONS

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KEYWORDS, PACS, and IPC

Keywords

atomic force microscopy, cantilevers, electromechanical effects, force sensors, intermolecular forces, microfabrication, microsensors, nanosensors, piezoresistive devices

PACS

  • 07.10.Cm

    Micromechanical devices and systems

  • 07.10.Pz

    Instruments for strain, force, and torque

  • 85.85.+j

    Micro- and nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) and devices

  • 07.07.Df

    Sensors (chemical, optical, electrical, movement, gas, etc.); remote sensing

International Patent Classification (IPC)

  • B81B

    Micro-structural devices or systems, e.g. micro-mechanical devices

  • B81C1/00

    Manufacture or treatment of devices or systems in or on a substrate

  • B82B1/00

    Nano-structures

  • G01L

    Measuring force, stress, torque, work, mechanical power, mechanical efficiency, or fluid pressure

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3673603

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0034-6748 (print)  
1089-7623 (online)

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Institute of Physics

For access to fully linked references, you need to log in.
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