Nanomechanical resonators enable the measurement of mass with extraordinary sensitivity. Previously, samples as light as 7 zeptograms (1 zg = 10(-21) g) have been weighed in vacuum, and proton-level resolution seems to be within reach. Resolving small mass changes requires the resonator to be light and to ring at a very pure tone-that is, with a high quality factor. In solution, viscosity severely degrades both of these characteristics, thus preventing many applications in nanotechnology and the life sciences where fluid is required. Although the resonant structure can be designed to minimize viscous loss, resolution is still substantially degraded when compared to measurements made in air or vacuum. An entirely different approach eliminates viscous damping by placing the solution inside a hollow resonator that is surrounded by vacuum. Here we demonstrate that suspended microchannel resonators can weigh single nanoparticles, single bacterial cells and sub-monolayers of adsorbed proteins in water with sub-femtogram resolution (1 Hz bandwidth). Central to these results is our observation that viscous loss due to the fluid is negligible compared to the intrinsic damping of our silicon crystal resonator. The combination of the low resonator mass (100 ng) and high quality factor (15,000) enables an improvement in mass resolution of six orders of magnitude over a high-end commercial quartz crystal microbalance. This gives access to intriguing applications, such as mass-based flow cytometry, the direct detection of pathogens, or the non-optical sizing and mass density measurement of colloidal particles.

Using suspended nanochannel resonators (SNRs), we demonstrate measurements of mass in solution with a resolution of 27 ag in a 1 kHz bandwidth, which represents a 100-fold improvement over existing suspended microchannel resonators and, to our knowledge, is the most precise mass measurement in liquid today. The SNR consists of a cantilever that is 50 µm long, 10 µm wide, and 1.3 µm thick, with an embedded nanochannel that is 2 µm wide and 700 nm tall. The SNR has a resonance frequency near 630 kHz and exhibits a quality factor of approximately 8000 when dry and when filled with water. In addition, we introduce a new method that uses centrifugal force caused by vibration of the cantilever to trap particles at the free end. This approach eliminates the intrinsic position dependent error of the SNR and also improves the mass resolution by increasing the averaging time for each particle.

Cell size, measured as either volume or mass, is a fundamental indicator of cell state. Far more tightly regulated than size is density, the ratio between mass and volume, which can be used to distinguish between cell populations even when volume and mass appear to remain constant. Here we expand upon a previous method for measuring cell density involving a suspended microchannel resonator (SMR). We introduce a new device, the dual SMR, as a high-precision instrument for measuring single-cell mass, volume, and density using two resonators connected by a serpentine fluidic channel. The dual SMR designs considered herein demonstrate the critical role of channel geometry in ensuring proper mixing and damping of pressure fluctuations in microfluidic systems designed for precision measurement. We use the dual SMR to compare the physical properties of two well-known cancer cell lines: human lung cancer cell H1650 and mouse lymphoblastic leukemia cell line L1210.

Physical characterization of nanoparticles is required for a wide range of applications. Nanomechanical resonators can quantify the mass of individual particles with detection limits down to a single atom in vacuum. However, applications are limited because performance is severely degraded in solution. Suspended microand nanochannel resonators have opened up the possibility of achieving vacuum-level precision for samples in the aqueous environment and a noise equivalent mass resolution of 27 attograms in 1-kHz bandwidth was previously achieved by Lee et al. [(2010) Nano Lett 10(7):2537-2542]. Here, we report on a series of advancements that have improved the resolution by more than 30-fold, to 0.85 attograms in the same bandwidth, approaching the thermomechanical noise limit and enabling precise quantification of particles down to 10 nm with a throughput of more than 18,000 particles per hour. We demonstrate the potential of this capability by comparing the mass distributions of exosomes produced by different cell types and by characterizing the yield of self-assembled DNA nanoparticle structures.nanoparticle characterization | NEMS | microfluidics | mechanical oscillators

Precision frequency detection has enabled the suspended microchannel resonator (SMR) to weigh single living cells, single nanoparticles, and adsorbed protein layers in fluid. To date, the SMR resonance frequency has been determined optically, which requires the use of an external laser and photodiode and cannot be easily arrayed for multiplexed measurements. Here we demonstrate the first electronic detection of SMR resonance frequency by fabricating piezoresistive sensors using ion implantation into single crystal silicon resonators. To validate the piezoresistive SMR, buoyant mass histograms of budding yeast cells and a mixture of 1.6, 2.0, 2.5, and 3.0 mm diameter polystyrene beads are measured. For SMRs designed to weigh micron-sized particles and cells, the mass resolution achieved with piezoresistive detection ($3.4 fg in a 1 kHz bandwidth) is comparable to what can be achieved by the conventional optical-lever detector. Eliminating the need for expensive and delicate optical components will enable new uses for the SMR in both multiplexed and field deployable applications.

The thermal conductivity of nanoporous Bi thin films has been experimentally determined. Samples are fabricated by a liquid phase deposition, and their thermal conductivities are measured by a differential 3ω method. Nanoporous Bi thin films exhibit an order-of-magnitude reduction in thermal conductivity compared to that of solid films, most likely the result of a reduction in phonon mean free path. When porous Bi films are exposed to a hydrogen plasma, thermal conductivity measurements reveal no variation with extent of porosity, while electrical conductivity is much more sensitive to porosity, suggesting the possibility of independent control of these two intrinsic properties.

Abstract-We present an electrostatically actuated rotary stage featuring liquid rings, which serve as both mechanical bearings and electric connections between the rotor and the substrate. The liquid rings are formed by confining a liquid inside hydrophilic grooves and repelling it from the superhydrophobic surfaces outside the grooves. Made of a fluid, the liquid-ring bearing avoids the dry friction of the solid bearings, significantly improving the reliability. Formed as rings, it avoids the resistance of contact-angle hysteresis sliding over droplets, and hence dramatically reducing the static friction. Furthermore, surface tension facilitates the self-alignment of the rotor to the substrate and stator during the assembly and provides the stability against drift and shock during operation. Electrically, each liquid ring passes an independent electric signal, allowing a direct electrical path between the substrate and potential components on the rotor. A three-phase electrostatic rotary stage has been design, fabricated, and tested. The minimum torque to initiate the rotation is ~2.5nNm -hundreds of times smaller than droplet-based counterparts. The device has operated successfully by applying sequential voltages of 50V DC between the rotor and the stators. The electric transmission has been verified by powering an LED on a rotating rotor. This is the first report of an electrostatically actuated rotating microdevice with a liquid bearing and a direct power transmission.

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