Chemisorption sensing and analysis using silicon cantilever sensor based on n-type metal–oxide–semiconductor transistor

Abstract

This paper presents a silicon cantilever sensor based on n-type metal–oxide–semiconductor transistor for chemical sensing and analysis using the chemisorption-induced surface stress sensing principle. The cantilever is along the 〈1 0 0〉 crystal orientation of the (1 0 0) silicon, and the transistor channel is parallel to as well as located at the rear part of the cantilever to obtain high stress sensitivity. The gold film deposited on the bottom surfaces of cantilevers is chemically functionalized with a self-assembled monolayer of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid via the Au–SH covalent bonding. The vapor phase chemical sensing experiments with acetone, ethanol, nitroethane and water vapor as targets are performed. The observed response differentiation implies that the molecular interaction mechanisms between different chemical molecules are different.