Microcantilever-based weather station for temperature, humidity and flow rate measurement

The current study develops a new process for the fabrication of Pt resistor temperature detectors (RTDs), cantilevers covered with a water-absorbent polyimide layer for humidity measurement and the bending-up of cantilevers to determine the flow rate. Pt RTDs are fabricated on the silicon substrate. The temperature measurement is based on the linear resistance variations when temperature changes. The polyimide layer is spun on the cantilever to form a humidity sensing layer. A variation in humidity causes moisture-dependent bending of the micro-cantilever, which changes the measured resistance of the resistor on the micro-cantilever. The same type of micro-cantilever, without spinning on polyimide, is used to form an anemometer. It is found that the cantilever bends slightly upward as a result of the released residual stress induced in the beam during the fabrication. When wind passes over the cantilever beam, a small deformation occurs. Variations in the flow rate can therefore be determined by measuring the changes in resistance caused by the beam deflection, using a LCR meter.