A novel method of temperature compensation for piezoresistive microcantilever-based sensors

Rev Sci Instrum. 2012 Mar;83(3):035002. doi: 10.1063/1.3690380.

Abstract

Microcantilever with integrated piezoresistor has been applied to in situ surface stress measurement in the field of biochemical sensors. It is well known that piezoresistive cantilever-based sensors are sensitive to ambient temperature changing due to highly temperature-dependent piezoresistive effect and mismatch in thermal expansion of composite materials. This paper proposes a novel method of temperature drift compensation for microcantilever-based sensors with a piezoresistive full Wheatstone bridge integrated at the clamped ends by subtracting the amplified output voltage of the reference cantilever from the output voltage of the sensing cantilever through a simple temperature compensating circuit. Experiments show that the temperature drift of microcantilever sensors can be significantly reduced by the method.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / instrumentation
  • Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / methods
  • Electricity*
  • Gelatin / chemistry
  • Humidity
  • Microtechnology / instrumentation
  • Microtechnology / methods*
  • Temperature*

Substances

  • Gelatin