Serial weighting of micro-objects with resonant microchanneled cantilevers

Ossola, D., Dorig, P., Voros, J., Zambelli, T. and Vassalli, M. (2016) Serial weighting of micro-objects with resonant microchanneled cantilevers. Nanotechnology, 27(41), 415502. (doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/27/41/415502) (PMID:27608651)

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers have proven to be very effective mass sensors. The attachment of a small mass to a vibrating cantilever produces a resonance frequency shift that can be monitored, providing the ability to measure mass changes down to a few molecules resolution. Nevertheless, the lack of a practical method to handle the catch and release process required for dynamic weighting of microobjects strongly hindered the application of the technology beyond proof of concept measurements. Here, a method is proposed in which FluidFM hollow cantilevers are exploited to overcome the standard limitations of AFM-based mass sensors, providing high throughput single object weighting with picogram accuracy. The extension of the dynamic models of AFM cantilevers to hollow cantilevers was discussed and the effectiveness of mass weighting in air was validated on test samples.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The authors acknowledge the Swiss National Science Foundation for supporting the activity through the International Short Visits grant number IZK0Z2_155218 (to M V) and the Interdisciplinary Project CR23I2_135535 (to T Z).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Vassalli, Professor Massimo
• Authors: Ossola, D., Dorig, P., Voros, J., Zambelli, T., and Vassalli, M.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Biomedical Engineering
• Journal Name: Nanotechnology
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• ISSN: 0957-4484
• ISSN (Online): 1361-6528
• Published Online: 09 September 2016
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd
• First Published: First published in Nanotechnology 27(41):415502
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy