Gaint piezoresistive sensors for next generation nanomechanical sensors

Monitoring changes at atomic or molecular level is critically important capability to enhance performances of mass, chemical, biological, explosive, and medical sensors. Nanomechanical cantilever sensors play central role in achieving such capabilities. Cantilevers in microscale have been investigated in the last three decades. But their miniaturization to nanoscale which increases sensitivit and  holds promise as enabling the next generation nanomechanical sensors is still at its infancy [1]. Mass produced highly sensitive, reliable, fast and on-chip cantilever array sensors in nanoscale are challenging. The key to overcoming the challenge is to enable miniaturisation of smart nanomechanical cantilever array, cantilevers embedded with deflection self-sensing and self-actuating functionalities, into a nanoscale in integrated circuit technology compatible fashion. To address this challenge, this project aims to study, design and integrate novel gaint piezoresistive effects to enhance the perfomances of nanomechanical sensors and enable highly sensitive, fast and mass-produced smart nanomechanical array. [1] 1. H.P.Lang, M.Hegner, and C.Gerber, “Nanomechanical Cantilever Array Sensors" B. Bhushan (Ed.), Springer Handbook of Nanotechnology, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-49347-3_15.