The invention provides sensor, preferably
biosensor devices and method of fabrication. The devices have significant advantages over the prior art methods having compatibility with future trends in clinical diagnostics and chemical detection. The underlying principle involves the integration of nanometer
diameter, micron long
metal or
semiconductor rods onto a substrate to form a suspended nanomechanical cantilevers. The
cantilever rods are rigidly attached to the substrate on one or both ends, and resonate at a characteristic frequency depending on the
diameter, length, and stiffness of the rod. The
metal or
semiconductor rods are integrated onto the substrate using electrofluidic or fluidic
assembly techniques. A
receptor coating is placed on the
metal or
semiconductor rods prior to or following rod alignment using self-
assembly chemistries. Sensing is accomplished when the target agent binds to the
receptor substance, causing a change in the
mass of the
cantilever rod, and a corresponding change in the resonant frequency. This change in resonant frequency can be detected using an electrical readout. The sensing circuitry is integrated with
CMOS or TFT technologies to form compact multi-
analyte senor arrays on
single crystal silicon, glass, or polymeric substrates. Circuits can also be included on the substrate to transmit the array data via
wireless methods to a remote
workstation for analysis. Devices may be integrated on chips with other analysis devices.