Herein, we investigate the potential of using gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-functionalized microcantilever surfaces for gamma radiation detection. For this investigation, Si microelectromechanical system-based cantilevers and Si wafers are used. All the samples were irradiated using a⁶⁰Co gamma source at different radiation doses (kGy). Using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopies, the optical properties of Si microcantilevers coated with AuNPs were studied before and after the irradiation. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to determine the resonance frequency shift due to the usage of AuNPs as sensing layers on microcantilevers. The results demonstrated that Au nanosphere (50 and 100 nm) suspensions in water were successfully deposited on Si substrates via dropping deposition without requiring any chemical material. Clearly, the XRD patterns of the AuNPs coated onto the Si substrates had the same peaks before and after the irradiation; however, after gamma irradiation, all the peaks become more distinct. As per AFM, the responses of the 50-nm AuNP-coated sensors were highly sensitive and almost linear at radiation doses between 0 and 20 kGy, unlike the 100-nm AuNP-coated sensors, which did not exhibit any consistent response. This study constitutes a foundation for the development of a portable and cost-effective platform for the sensitive detection of nuclear radiations using micromechanical sensors.

在此，我们研究了使用金纳米粒子 (AuNP) 功能化微悬臂梁表面进行伽马辐射检测的潜力。在这项研究中，使用了基于硅微机电系统的悬臂和硅晶片。所有样品均采用⁶⁰不同辐射剂量 (kGy) 的 Co γ 源。使用扫描电子显微镜、能量色散 X 射线和 X 射线衍射 (XRD) 光谱，研究了辐照前后涂有 AuNP 的 Si 微悬臂梁的光学性质。由于使用 AuNP 作为微悬臂梁上的传感层，因此使用原子力显微镜 (AFM) 来确定共振频移。结果表明，Au 纳米球（50 和 100 nm）在水中的悬浮液通过滴落沉积成功地沉积在 Si 衬底上，而无需任何化学材料。很明显，涂覆在Si衬底上的AuNPs的XRD图谱在辐照前后具有相同的峰；然而，在伽马辐射之后，所有的峰都变得更加清晰。根据 AFM，50-nm AuNP 涂层传感器的响应在 0 到 20 kGy 之间的辐射剂量下高度敏感且几乎呈线性，这与 100-nm AuNP 涂层传感器不同，后者没有表现出任何一致的响应。这项研究构成了开发便携式和具有成本效益的平台以使用微机械传感器灵敏检测核辐射的基础。