Analysis of Surface Effects on Mechanical Properties of Microcantilevers

In this paper, some problems concerning surface effects of microcantilever-based sensors are discussed. The problems include the influence on surface Q changes due to the variation of position and length of a coated film, and frequency changes induced by tensile or compressive surface stresses. Some useful results are obtained based on theoretical analysis, which are of interest in the design and fabrication of microcantilever based sensors.