Simplifying cantilever sensors: Segmental analysis, a way to multiply your output

Bending experiments on micromechanical cantilevers (MMC) are a powerful tool to measure small amounts of chemical or biological analytes. By applying segmental cantilever readout technique we demonstrate that the investigation of MMC segments is sufficient to obtain reliable curvature values. This allows one to perform multiple bending experiments on a single MMC and by that to multiply the possible output per MMC. Furthermore we demonstrate how segmental MMC readout can be used to locate differently coated areas.