Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Inertial imaging with nanomechanical systems

Abstract

Mass sensing with nanoelectromechanical systems has advanced significantly during the last decade. With nanoelectromechanical systems sensors it is now possible to carry out ultrasensitive detection of gaseous analytes, to achieve atomic-scale mass resolution and to perform mass spectrometry on single proteins. Here, we demonstrate that the spatial distribution of mass within an individual analyte can be imaged—in real time and at the molecular scale—when it adsorbs onto a nanomechanical resonator. Each single-molecule adsorption event induces discrete, time-correlated perturbations to all modal frequencies of the device. We show that by continuously monitoring a multiplicity of vibrational modes, the spatial moments of mass distribution can be deduced for individual analytes, one-by-one, as they adsorb. We validate this method for inertial imaging, using both experimental measurements of multimode frequency shifts and numerical simulations, to analyse the inertial mass, position of adsorption and the size and shape of individual analytes. Unlike conventional imaging, the minimum analyte size detectable through nanomechanical inertial imaging is not limited by wavelength-dependent diffraction phenomena. Instead, frequency fluctuation processes determine the ultimate attainable resolution. Advanced nanoelectromechanical devices appear capable of resolving molecular-scale analytes.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Superposition of resonator mode shapes.
Figure 2: Adaptive fitting for enhanced resolution and accuracy.
Figure 3: Mass and position analysis using published experimental data.
Figure 4: Size and shape analysis via frequency-shift measurements of droplet arrays.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ekinci, K. L., Huang, X. M. H. & Roukes, M. L. Ultrasensitive nanoelectromechanical mass detection. Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 4469–4471 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ilic, B. et al. Attogram detection using nanoelectromechanical oscillators. J. Appl. Phys. 95, 3694–3703 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Yang, Y. T., Callegari, C., Feng, X. L., Ekinci, K. L. & Roukes, M. L. Zeptogram-scale nanomechanical mass sensing. Nano Lett. 6, 583–586 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Li, M., Tang, H. X. & Roukes, M. L. Ultra-sensitive NEMS-based cantilevers for sensing, scanned probe and very high-frequency applications. Nature Nanotech. 2, 114–120 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Gil-Santos, E. et al. Nanomechanical mass sensing and stiffness spectrometry based on two-dimensional vibrations of resonant nanowires. Nature Nanotech. 5, 641–645 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Chen, C. Y. et al. Performance of monolayer graphene nanomechanical resonators with electrical readout. Nature Nanotech. 4, 861–867 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hanay, M. S. et al. Single-protein nanomechanical mass spectrometry in real time. Nature Nanotech. 7, 602–608 (2012).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Naik, A. K., Hanay, M. S., Hiebert, W. K., Feng, X. L. & Roukes, M. L. Towards single-molecule nanomechanical mass spectrometry. Nature Nanotech. 4, 445–450 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Schmid, S., Kurek, M., Adolphsen, J. Q. & Boisen, A. Real-time single airborne nanoparticle detection with nanomechanical resonant filter-fiber. Sci. Rep. 3, 1288 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Gupta, A., Akin, D. & Bashir, R. Single virus particle mass detection using microresonators with nanoscale thickness. Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 1976–1978 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Burg, T. P. et al. Weighing of biomolecules, single cells and single nanoparticles in fluid. Nature 446, 1066–1069 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Jensen, K., Kim, K. & Zettl, A. An atomic-resolution nanomechanical mass sensor. Nature Nanotech. 3, 533–537 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Chiu, H. Y., Hung, P., Postma, H. W. & Bockrath, M. Atomic-scale mass sensing using carbon nanotube resonators. Nano Lett. 8, 4342–4346 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Lassagne, B., Garcia-Sanchez, D., Aguasca, A. & Bachtold, A. Ultrasensitive mass sensing with a nanotube electromechanical resonator. Nano Lett. 8, 3735–3738 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Chaste, J. et al. A nanomechanical mass sensor with yoctogram resolution. Nature Nanotech. 7, 300–303 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Dohn, S., Sandberg, R., Svendsen, W. & Boisen, A. Enhanced functionality of cantilever based mass sensors using higher modes. Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 233501 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Dohn, S., Svendsen, W., Boisen, A. & Hansen, O. Mass and position determination of attached particles on cantilever based mass sensors. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 78, 103303 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Dohn, S., Schmid, S., Amiot, F. & Boisen, A. Position and mass determination of multiple particles using cantilever based mass sensors. Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 044103 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Tamayo, J., Ramos, D., Mertens, J. & Calleja, M. Effect of the adsorbate stiffness on the resonance response of microcantilever sensors. Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 224104 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Ramos, D. et al. Arrays of dual nanomechanical resonators for selective biological detection. Anal. Chem. 81, 2274–2279 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Tamayo, J., Kosaka, P. M., Ruz, J. J., San Paulo, Á. & Calleja, M. Biosensors based on nanomechanical systems. Chem. Soc. Rev. 42, 1287–1311 (2013).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Landau, L. D., Lifshits, E. M., Kosevich, A. D. M. & Pitaevskii, L. P. in Course of Theoretical Physics 3rd English edn, Vol. VIII, 187 (Pergamon, 1986).

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hausdorff, F. Moment problems for an infinite interval. Math. Z. 16, 220–248 (1923).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Athanassoulis, G. A. & Gavriliadis, P. N. The truncated Hausdorff moment problem solved by using kernel density functions. Probabilist. Eng. Mech. 17, 273–291 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Ginger, D. S., Zhang, H. & Mirkin, C. A. The evolution of dip-pen nanolithography. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 43, 30–45 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Ekinci, K. L., Yang, Y. T. & Roukes, M. L. Ultimate limits to inertial mass sensing based upon nanoelectromechanical systems. J. Appl. Phys. 95, 2682–2689 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge support from an NIH Director's Pioneer award (to M.L.R.), a Caltech Kavli Nanoscience Institute Distinguished Visiting Professorship (to J.E.S.), the Fondation pour la Recherche et l'EnseignementSuperieur, Paris (FRES; to M.L.R.), and the Australian Research Council grants scheme (P.M. and J.E.S.).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

M.L.R. and J.E.S. supervised the project. J.E.S. provided the principal mathematical idea for mass measurement using mode superposition that was extended to imaging by M.L.R. The resulting theory was further developed by M.S.H., S.I.K., J.E.S., and M.L.R. Droplet measurements were conceived by J.E.S., performed by C.D.O., and supervised by P.M. and J.E.S. The paper was written by M.S.H., S.I.K., C.D.O., J.E.S., and M.L.R. The FE simulations were executed by M.S.H. and S.I.K. All authors analysed the data and contributed to the writing of the paper.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to John E. Sader or Michael L. Roukes.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary information

Supplementary information (PDF 2259 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hanay, M., Kelber, S., O'Connell, C. et al. Inertial imaging with nanomechanical systems. Nature Nanotech 10, 339–344 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2015.32

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2015.32

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing