Environmental sensors based on micromachined cantilevers with integrated read-out

An AFM probe with integrated piezoresistive read-out has been developed and applied as a cantilever-based environmental sensor. The probe has a built- in reference cantilever, which makes it possible to subtract background dri ft directly in the measurement. Moreover, the integrated read-out facilitat es measurements in liquid. The probe has been successfully implemented in g aseous as well as in liquid experiments. For example, the probe has been us ed as an accurate and minute thermal sensor and as a humidity sensor. In li quid, the probe has been used to detect the presence of alcohol in water. ( C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.