A Resonant Gas Sensor Based on Multimode Excitation of a Buckled Microbeam

We report a new gas sensing technique based on the simultaneous tracking of multiple modes of vibration of an electrothermally heated bridge resonator operated near the buckling point. The proposed technique maximizes the sensitivity of the sensor to changes in gases concentrations. We demonstrate a 200% frequency shift in contrast to 0.5% resistance change using the conventional resistive technique. The method also demonstrates selective identification for some gases without the need for surface functionalization of the microstructure. The proposed method is simple in principle and design and is promising for achieving practical low-cost gas sensors.