Field Emission as Transducer for Sub-micron and Nano Resonators

Mechanical sensors are more sensitive and responsive when they are made smaller. One of the major concerns in the dimensional scaling process however, is the detection limit of the resonator vibrations. Methods that are available in microresonator devices do not always scale well into sub-micron and nanometre regimes; hence alternative detection schemes are needed for the future resonator devices. In this paper we proposed the use of deviations in field emission current to sense the mechanical displacements in resonating cantilevers. We will present the design, the principle and the fabrication results; scalability, feasibility and challenges of the scheme will also be discussed. Currently the use of field emission on cantilever vibration detection has not been reported yet. This detection method can be an alternative technique for sensor transducers and for studying cantilevers in submicron and nanometre scales.