Evaluation of Porous Silicon Oxide on Silicon Microcantilevers for Sensitive Detection of Gaseous HF

Sensitive detection of harmful chemicals in industrial applications is pertinent to safety. In this work, we demonstrate the use of a sensitive silicon microcantilever (MC) system with a porous silicon oxide layer deposited on the active side of the MCs that have been mechanically manipulated to increase sensitivity. Included is the evaluation of porous silicon oxide present on different geometries of MCs and exposed to varying concentrations of hydrogen fluoride in humid air. Profilometry and the signal generated by the stress-induced porous silicon oxide (PSO) coating and bending of the MC were used as methods of evaluation.