In this paper, we proposed a miniature thermogravimetric analysis sensor by using quartz crystal microbalance. We optimized the heating electrode shape of the microheater-integrated QCM for measuring a component of the soil on Mars and physically adsorbed water content in the Martian dust. Then, we evaluated the heating properties of the QCM in vacuum environment. As a result, the temperature of the electrode heated up to 300℃. We found out the optimized QCM showed low power consumption and had superior heating properties.

Utilization of biosensors has acquired importance in the field of biomedicine, food safety and environmental monitoring. This has led to the invention of precise analytical tools using biological sensing element as biosensor.

This review provides an overview of different types of biosensors being used QCM method from electrochemical for various biomedical with future outlook of biosensor technology.

Functional design of organic polymer thin films as the molecular recognition membrane of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM)-type odor sensor system is reviewed. The organic polymer materials which are used as the molecular recognition membrane of QCM odor sensors are selected in the view of solubility parameters. It is found that the solubility parameter is very useful to choice the organic polymers as the molecular recognition membrane of the QCM gas sensors for target gas and odor. It is also found that the use of polymer films with nano-wires is effective to increase the sensitivity of the QCM odor sensors.

Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) gas sensors based on the alternate deposition of TiO₂ and polymers were developed for the detection of ammonia and formaldehyde odors. For sensitive detection of both analytes, poly(acrylic acid), PAA, and poly(allyamine hydrochloride), PAH, were employed in the film along with TiO₂ thin layers that were prepared by the gas-phase surface sol-gel (GSSG) process. The alternate (TiO₂/PAA/TiO₂/PAH) film-deposited QCM sensor showed linear responses to ammonia in the concentration range 0.5-40 ppm and to formaldehyde in the concentration range 0.3-20 ppm. The sensor response was very fast, stable, and repeatable. The ammonia or formaldehyde binding is based on the acid-base interaction to the free carboxyl or amino groups of PAA or PAH. TiO₂ thin layers deposited by the GSSG process played significant roles in preventing the electrostatic interaction of polymer layers and in improving the diffusion of gaseous analytes inside the film.

Silica-agglomerate electrets on fluororesin film were fabricated by a charging just after spraying colloidal silica (SC) or mixed solution of colloidal silica and glycerin (MC) and pre-coating glycerin by electrostatic spraying before SC (GSC) to compare the electret by electrostatic spraying colloidal silica (ES). The tiny silica agglomerates were not observed on the electrets when the charging was done just after spraying solutions. Eventually, the charge retention at 250℃ of SC, MC and GSC was higher than that of ES. Furthermore, the silica-agglomerate with small height of MC and GSC also demonstrated the excellent charge retention and the MC sample with 22µm of height kept -0.77kV of the surface electric potential after heating to 250℃.

In this paper, we have demonstrated usefulness of the electromotive manipulator system with a developed single element MEMS sensor which can detect proximity, contact, and slipping to skillful gripping of the object. This MEMS sensor can detect proximity as impedance change of Si substrate by reflected light from the object due to the photoconductive effect. In addition, both normal and shear load can be also detected as resistance change of strain gauge on cantilevers located three-fold symmetry and embedded in PDMS. By attaching the sensor on the electromotive manipulator, accurate control of gripping force was enabled by feedback of the sensor output.