Micromechanical Sensors: A Road to Femtoscale Science

We review techniques and recent applications of micromechanical cantilever sensors to analyze an entire range of signal domains. In particular, such devices can attain ultimate limits in sensitivity, speed, and size. The techniques are based on the transduction of specific physical and chemical phenomena into a micromechanical response. Methods to detect responses in the picometer range are discussed together with concepts for fabricating array-based multisensors. The capability of integration with silicon-based microelectronics is shown to be a clear advantage and will be a stimulus for the further development of these devices.