We report the piezoresisitivity in magnetic thin films of FeGa and their use for fabricating self transducing microcantilevers. The actuation occurs as a consequence of both the ferromagnetic and magnetostrictive property of FeGa thin films, while the deflection readout is achieved by exploiting the piezoresisitivity of these films. This self-sensing, self-actuating micromechanical system involves a very simple bilayer structure, which eliminates the need for the more complex piezoelectric stack that is commonly used in active cantilevers. Thus, it potentially opens opportunities for remotely actuated, cantilever-based sensors.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1012.2330,
title = {Active microcantilevers based on piezoresistive ferromagnetic thin films},
author = {Harish Bhaskaran and Mo Li and Daniel Garcia-Sanchez and Peng Zhao and Ichiro Takeuchi and Hong X Tang},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1012.2330},
year = {2011}
}