The project concerns the conception, fabrication and characterization of cantilever-type MEMS structures for sensors applications. An alternative process to silicon related ones, associating the screen-printing technique to a sacrificial layer (SrCO3), was used to realize piezoelectric cantilevers (PZT material utilized as actuator and transducer) in a first time. Detections in gas phase were performed successfully with and without sensitive layer thanks to the unusual 31-longitudinal vibration mode. Namely, we were able to detect toluene at concentrations as low as 20ppm with a PEUT sensitive layer. Other species like water, ethanol or hydrogen could be detected without sensitive layer in order to get rid of the sensitive layer-related issues (ageing for example). Preliminary characterizations were carried out in liquid phase in a view to perform liquid phase detection. Besides, a cantilever-based force sensor, fabricated thanks to the same fabrication process was designed. This last one integrates a piezoresistor allowing the transduction of the mechanical signal linked to the strain overcome by the microcantilever. Force detections in static mode (without any actuator) permitted the sensors' characterization. Indeed, their sensitivity, force range, minimal detectable force and linearity were carried out.
