title: Readout of micromechanical cantilever sensor arrays by Fabry-Perot interferometry.
abstract: The increasing use of micromechanical cantilevers in sensing applications causes a need for reliable readout techniques of micromechanical cantilever sensor (MCS) bending. Current optical beam deflection techniques suffer from drawbacks such as artifacts due to changes in the refraction index upon exchange of media. Here, an adaptation of the Fabry-Perot interferometer is presented that allows simultaneous determination of MCS bending and changes in the refraction index of media. Calibration of the instrument with liquids of known refraction index provides an avenue to direct measurement of bending with nanometer precision. Versatile construction of flow cells in combination with alignment features for substrate chips allows simultaneous measurement of two MCS situated either on the same, or on two different support chips. The performance of the instrument is demonstrate in several sensing applications, including adsorption experiments of alkanethioles on MCS gold surfaces, and measurement of humidity changes in air.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pharmazie und Molekulare Biotechnologie, Department of Chemistry, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wehrmeister
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuss
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saurenbach
authors.forename: Rüdiger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helm
mesh_terms: D003626:Data Display; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007368:Interferometry / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014159:Transducers