Miniaturized highly piezoelectric unimorph cantilevers for rapid in situ pathogen quantification

IEC 257

Wan Y. Shih, G. Campbell, J. W. Yi, R. Mutharasan, and W. H. Shih. Department of Materials Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Miniaturized highly piezoelectric cantilevers offer the advantage of simple electric detection and better capabilities to withstand damping in water. It is especially suitable for in-situ aqueous detection of bioagents or microbes. Addition of mass to a cantilever reduces its resonance frequency and can be detected by monitoring the resonance frequency shift. Detection of cells, e.g., proteins, and specific antigen-antibody binding, e.g., biotin-avidin binding, and application to in situ E coli quantification using a PZT/stainless steel piezoelectric unimorph cantilever will be presented. Mass detection sensitivity with respect to cantilever size and the fabrication and characterization of the miniaturized strontium lead titanate [SrxPb(1-x)TiO3]/Si3N4 unimorph cantilevers will also discussed.