Label-Free Detection of a Biomarker with Piezoelectric Micro Cantilever Based on Mass Micro Balancing

Abstract

With a piezoelectric micro cantilever sensor, a biomarker for various cancers is detected up to the concentration level required to determine a disease by using the mass micro balancing whose principle is that change of mechanical vibrant frequency is measured due to a target material attached on a sensor structure. The used piezoelectric micro cantilever sensor is designed so as to have the sufficient values of mass sensitivity and reliability. The used piezoelectric film, which acts as both sensor and actuator, is a plumbum zirconate titanate (PZT). Geometrical dimension of the micro cantilever is 100 μm (length) by 30 μm (width) by 5 μm (thickness). The 50-μm-long PZT film with thickness of 2.5 μm is covered from its root to its middle. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), the biomarker for testing the sensor as label-free detection for pathological tests, is known as a biomarker for various cancers. The critical value of CEA concentration is known as 30 pM (5 ng/mL), and it is detected by the binding of antigen and antibody from high concentration to the critical concentration. From the results, the sensor could be applied to label-free detection sensors for pathological tests.