Final Activity Report Summary - BIONEMS (Nano-electromechanical systems for biomedical applications)
Nanomechanical sensors fabricated in polymer materials have been developed, characterised and applied for DNA and protein detection. The low Young modulus of polymers, about 40 times lower than that of silicon, enables to improve the sensitivity of the sensor devices for target detection. This allows superior mechanical properties of cantilevers. The devices were applied for measurement of the adsorption of single stranded DNA and proteins.
It was demonstrated that, by using polymeric materials, sensitivity was enhanced by a factor of six compared to that of commercial silicon nitride cantilevers. Characterisation of spring constant, resonant frequency and quality factor as a function of the dimensions and the medium allowed concluding a potentially 10 fold higher sensitivity of polymeric cantilever sensors.
It was demonstrated that, by using polymeric materials, sensitivity was enhanced by a factor of six compared to that of commercial silicon nitride cantilevers. Characterisation of spring constant, resonant frequency and quality factor as a function of the dimensions and the medium allowed concluding a potentially 10 fold higher sensitivity of polymeric cantilever sensors.