Development of highly sensitive compact chemical sensor system employing a microcantilever array and a thermal preconcentrator

The authors developed a highly sensitive compact chemical sensor system employing a polymer-coated microcantilever sensor array and a thermal preconcentrator with an airpump. The theory, design, structure, fabrication, and experiment results are reported here. This sensor system had 1) sub-ppb detection limit enhanced by a carbon-fiber filled preconcentrator with an air pump and 2) analysis function by thermal desorption of the adsorbed VOCs in the preconcentrator and multiple cantilevers (acting as mass sensors) with different polymers. Eight silicon microcantilevers in one silicon chip fabricated by Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology were driven by a PZT actuator plate mounted in the package, and four of them were wire bonded.