Enhancing the Performance of Biosensors Using Advanced Materials

The performance of different components in various engineering applications can be enhanced when using advanced materials. These materials are distinguished from the traditional ones by their superior properties. The material properties play the main role in enhancing the behavior and therefore the performance of a component. One class of these advanced materials is the functionally graded materials (FGMs) where the properties vary with the position. In most of the FGMs previous works in the literature, the properties are considered to vary along one of the body dimensions. In the present work, the performance of a microcantilever biosensor is investigated using FGM where Young modulus, which is the main property, varies along an axis that is inclined on the longitudinal direction of the biosensor by different angles. Therefore, the properties vary in both the longitudinal and thickness directions of the biosensor. The deflection and the induced concentrated force at the free end of the sensor are discussed for the sake of enhancing the performance. Eventually, the sensitivity and other performance parameters can be enhanced by the proper choices of the various design parameters.