Carbon nanotube-based strain sensing cantilevers

Abstract

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and testing results of silicon cantilevers with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as active strain sensing elements. A batch microfabrication process was developed for device construction and packaging. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were dielectrophoretically assembled between electrodes. Based on the characterization results of 12 devices, the CNT-based cantilevers demonstrated a linear relationship between resistance changes and externally applied strain. The gauge factor ranged from 78.84 to 134.40 for four different microelectrode configurations.