Detection of mercury vapor using resonating microcantilevers

Oscillating silicon nitride microcantilevers coated with a thin gold film have been used to detect mercury vapor in air. Cantilever resonance frequency changes due to surface mass loading as a result of adsorption of mercury vapor. Furthermore, cantilever bending is also altered due to changes in surface stress induced by mercury adsorption on the gold overlayer. Both of these phenomena can be used to quantitatively detect adsorbed vapors with picogram mass resolution.