Piezoresistive cantilever sensors are being developed for measuring adsorbed air pollutants such as particles and exhaust gases gravimetrically by resonance frequency shift. To increase sensitivity, the dimensions of the resonator are reduced to the lower µm range and their effective surface area is massively increased using 3D nanostructure networks. Adaptive electronic systems shall ensure optimal signal quality for resonance-frequency tracking.
M. Sc. Iqbal Syamsu, "Piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical systems for gas sensors", supported by the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia (RISTEKDIKTI, no. 343/RISET-Pro/FGS/VII/2016), ongoing
Dr.-Ing. Andi Setiono, "Parasitic-crosstalk elimination in electrothermal piezoresistive cantilever resonators for real-time frequency-tracking operation", Fakultät für Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik, Physik of TU Braunschweig, 2021, funded by a scholarship of the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia (RISTEKDIKTI, Nr. 343/RISET-Pro/FGS/VII/2016).
Dr.-Ing. Wilson Ombati Nyang‘au, "Microcantilever-based measurement of mass and magnetic moment of liquidborne magnetic micro and nanoparticles", Fakultät für Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik, Physik of TU Braunschweig, 2021, supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ, no 27070024).
Dr.-Ing. Jiushuai Xu, "Wearable gas sensors based on silicon MEMS/NEMS-based resonators", Fakultät für Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik, Physik of TU Braunschweig, 2020, supported by China Scholarship Council (CSC, no. 201506300019)
Journal publications / book chapters (selection, since 2019):
Rizky Aflaha, Linda Ardita Putri, Aloysius Farrel, Sebastian Anzinger, Aditya Rianjanu, Nursidik Yulianto, Marc Fueldner, Roto Roto, Erwin Peiner, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto, Kuwat Triyana, "Crafting high-temperature stable and hydrophobic nanofiber membranes for particulate matter filtration", Commun. Mater. 6:87 (2025) (25pp); https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00799-y.
Andi Setiono, Nelfyenny, Suryadi, Qomaruddin, Wilson Ombati Nyang’au, Erwin Peiner, "A lightweight resonance tracking system for piezoresistive microcantilever sensors", Micro and Nano Systems Lett. 13:1 (2025) (10pp); https://doi.org/10.1186/s40486-025-00221-9.
Hutomo Suryo Wasisto, Sebastian Anzinger, Giovanni Acanfora, Valentina Sabatini, Elisa Grimoldi, Vasco Marelli, Nikita Ovsiannikov, Konstantin Tkachuk, Giordano Tosolini, Guangzhao Zhang, Carmine Lucignano, Marco Mietta, Marc Fueldner, Erwin Peiner, "Acoustically semitransparent nanofibrous meshes appraised by high signal-to-noise-ratio MEMS microphone", Commun. Eng. 3 (2024) 136; https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-024-00283-4.
Jiushuai Xu and Erwin Peiner, "Resonant Silicon Microcantilevers for Particle and Gas Sensing", in "Piezoelectric Sensors", Editor: Prof. Dr. Peter Lieberzeit, in Springer Series on Chemical Sensors and Biosensors 18: Methods and Applications, Series Editor: Gerald Urban (Springer Nature Switzerland AG, Cham, Switzerland, 2024), pp. 291-338; https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/5346_2023_33.
Andi Setiono, Nelfyenny, Wilson Ombati Nyang’au, Erwin Peiner, "Replicating Spectral Baseline for Unambiguous Frequency Locking in Resonant Sensors", Sensors 2024, 24(7), 2318 (11pp); https://doi.org/10.3390/s24072318.
Jiushuai Xu and Erwin Peiner, "Dimensional-Nanopatterned Piezoresistive Silicon Microcantilever for Environmental Sensing", in "Advanced MEMS/NEMS Fabrication and Sensors", Editor: Dr. Zhuoqing Yang (Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 2022), 19-47; https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-030-79749-2_2.
Wilson Ombati Nyang’au, Tamara Kahmann, Thilo Viereck, Erwin Peiner, "MEMS-based cantilever sensor for simultaneous measurement of mass and magnetic moment of magnetic particles", Chemosensors 9 (2021) 207 (19pp); https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors9080207.
Andi Setiono, Michael Fahrbach, Alexander Deutschinger, Ernest J. Fantner, Christian H. Schwalb, Iqbal Syamsu, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto, Erwin Peiner, "Performance of an Electrothermal MEMS Cantilever Resonator with Fano-Resonance Annoyance under Cigarette Smoke Exposure", Sensors 21 (2021) 4088 (19pp); doi: 10.3390/s21124088.
Maik Bertke, Ina Kirsch, Erik Uhde, Erwin Peiner, "Ultrafine Aerosol Particle Sizer Based on Piezoresistive Microcantilever Resonators with Integrated Air-Flow Channel", Sensors 21 (2021) 3731 (19pp); doi: 10.3390/s21113731.
W. O. Nyang’au, A. Setiono, A. Schmidt, H. Bosse, E. Peiner, "Sampling and Mass Detection of a Countable Number of Microparticles Using on-Cantilever Imprinting", Sensors 20(9) (2020) 2508; https://doi.org/10.3390/s20092508.
A. Setiono, M. Bertke, W. O. Nyang’au, J. Xu, M. Fahrbach, I. Kirsch, E. Uhde, A. Deutschinger, E. J. Fantner, C. H. Schwalb, H. S. Wasisto, E. Peiner, "In-plane and out-of-plane MEMS piezoresistive cantilever sensors for nanoparticle mass detection", Sensors 20(3) (2020) 618 (18pp); https://doi.org/10.3390/s20030618.
M. Bertke, J. Xu, A. Setiono, I. Kirsch, E. Uhde, E. Peiner, "Fabrication of a micro-cantilever-based aerosol detector with integrated electrostatic on-chip ultrafine particle separation and collection", J. Micromech. Microeng. 30 (2020) 014001 (13pp); DOI: 10.1088/1361-6439/ab4e56.
J. Xu, M. Bertke, H. S. Wasisto, E. Peiner, Invited Topical Review: “Piezoresistive Microcantilevers for Humidity Sensing”, J. Micromech. Microeng. 29 (2019) 053003 (29pp), https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6439/ab0cf5.
A. Setiono, W. O. Nyang’au, M. Fahrbach, J. Xu, M. Bertke, H. S. Wasisto, E. Peiner, “Improvement of frequency responses of an in-plane electro-thermal cantilever sensor for real-time measurement”, J. Micromech. Microeng. 29 (2019) 124006 (12pp); https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6439/ab4e29.
W. O. Nyang’au, A. Setiono, M. Bertke, H. Bosse, E. Peiner, “Cantilever-droplet-based sensing of magnetic particle concentrations in liquids”, Sensors 19 (2019) 4758 (18pp); doi:10.3390/s19214758.
Andi Setiono, Jiushuai Xu, Maik Bertke, Wilson Ombati Nyang’au, Michael Fahrbach, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto, Erwin Peiner, “Real-Time Frequency Tracking of an Electro-Thermal Piezoresistive Cantilever Resonator with ZnO Nanorods for Chemical Sensing”, Chemosensors 7 (2019) 2; doi:10.3390/chemosensors7010002. Editor's Choice Articles of 2019 in Chemosensors.
A. Setiono, M. Fahrbach, M. Bertke, J. Xu, G. Hamdana, H. S. Wasisto, E. Peiner, “Phase optimization of thermally-actuated piezoresistive resonant MEMS cantilever sensors”, J. Sens. Sens. Syst. 8 (2019) 37–48; https://doi.org/10.5194/jsss-8-37-2019.
Piezoresistive micro-cantilever tactile sensors for testing workpiece surfaces (shape, roughness, viscoelasticity) are being developed for use in industrial applications (in-line, quality control, ..). Actuators required for high-order-mode contact resonance measurements will be represented with integrated heating or piezo actuators.
M. Eng. Tianran Ma, "MEMS sensors for aerosol detection and contact-resonance profilometry", Fakultät für Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik, Physik der TU Braunschweig, ongoing, supported by China Scholarship Council (CSC, no. 202109210005)
Dr.-Ing. Prabowo Puranto, "Indentation testing of silicon micropillars from cryogenic dry etching", Fakultät für Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik, Physik of TU Braunschweig, 2022, funded by a scholarship of the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia (RISTEKDIKTI, Nr. 343/RISET-Pro/FGS/VII/2016)
Dr.-Ing. Gerry Hamdana, "MEMs piezoresistive force sensors based on micro-/nanostructured silicon components", Fakultät für Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik, Physik der TU Braunschweig, 2018
Zhi Li, Petr Klapetek, Uwe Brand, Andam Deatama Refino, Jiushuai Xu, Erwin Peiner, "Nanomechanical characterisation of vertical nanowires used for energy harvesting", Measurement: Sensors 2025; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measen.2024.101671.
Tianran Ma, Michael Fahrbach, Erwin Peiner, "Piezoresistive Cantilever Microprobe with Integrated Actuator for Contact Resonance Imaging", Sensors 25 (2025) 332 (36pp); https://doi.org/10.3390/s25020332.
Tianran Ma, Michael Fahrbach, Jiushuai Xu, Frank Eric Boye Anang, Maximilian Vergin, Florian Meierhofer, Uwe Brand, Andreas Waag, Erwin Peiner, "Imaging the Mechanical Properties of Nanowire Arrays", Technisches Messen (2024), https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/teme-2023-0159/html.
Michael Fahrbach, Min Xu, Wilson Ombati Nyang’au, Oleg Domanov, Christian H. Schwalb, Zhi Li, Christian Kuhlmann, Uwe Brand, Erwin Peiner, "Damped Cantilever Microprobes for High-Speed Contact Metrology with 3D Surface Topography", Sensors 23 (2023) (14pp), 2003; https://doi.org/10.3390/s23042003.
Min Xu, Ziqi Zhou, Thomas Ahbe, Erwin Peiner, Uwe Brand, "Using a Tip Characterizer to Investigate Microprobe Silicon Tip Geometry Variation in Roughness Measurements", Sensors 22 (2022) 1298 (15pp); https://doi.org/10.3390/s22031298.
Linus Teir, Tuomas Lindstedt, Thomas Widmaier, Björn Hemming, Uwe Brand, Michael Fahrbach, Erwin Peiner and Antti Lassila, "In-line measurement of the surface texture of rolls using long slender piezoresistive microprobes", Sensors 21 (2021) 5955 (14pp); https://doi.org/10.3390/s21175955.
Michael Fahrbach, Sebastian Backes, Heinrich Behle, Min, Xu, Brunero Cappella, Uwe Brand, Erwin Peiner, "Customized piezoresistive microprobes for combined imaging of topography and mechanical properties", Measurement: Sensors 15 (2021) 100042 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measen.2021.100042; data available.
Min Xu, Zhi Li, Michael Fahrbach, Erwin Peiner, Uwe Brand, "Investigating the trackability of silicon microprobes in high-speed surface measurements", Sensors 21 (2021) 1557 (13pp); doi: 10.3390/s21051557.
Michael Fahrbach, Sebastian Friedrich, Brunero Cappella, Erwin Peiner, "Calibrating a high-speed contact-resonance profilometer", J. Sens. Sens. Syst. 9 (2020) 179–187, https://doi.org/10.5194/jsss-9-179-2020.
Z. Li, S. Gao, U. Brand, K. Hiller, S. Hahn, G. Hamdana, E. Peiner, H. Wolff, D. Bergmann, "Nanomechanical Characterization of Vertical Nanopillars Using an MEMS-SPM Nano-Bending Testing Platform" Sensors 19 (2019) 4529 (13pp); doi:10.3390/s19204529.
U. Brand, M. Xu, L. Doering, J. Langfahl-Klabes, H. Behle, S. Bütefisch, T. Ahbe, E. Peiner, T. Frank, B. Mickan, I. Kisilev, M. Hauptmannl, M. Drexel, "Long slender piezoresistive silicon microprobes for fast measurements of roughness and mechanical properties inside microholes with diameters below 100 µm", Sensors 19 (2019) 1410; doi:10.3390/s19061410.
M. Bertke, M. Fahrbach, G. Hamdana, J. Xu, H. S. Wasisto, E. Peiner, "Contact Resonance Spectroscopy for On-The-Machine Manufactory Monitoring", Sens. Actuat. A Phys. 279 (2018) 501–508; doi: 10.1016/j.sna.2018.06.012.
Lutz Doering, Uwe Brand, Sebastian Bütefisch, Thomas Ahbe, Thomas Weimann, Erwin Peiner, Thomas Frank, "High-speed microprobe for roughness measurements in high-aspect-ratio microstructures", Meas. Sci. Technol. 28 (2017) 034009 (9pp); doi:10.1088/1361-6501/28/3/034009.
Erwin Peiner and Lutz Doering, "Nondestructive Evaluation of Diesel Spray Holes Using Piezoresistive Sensors", IEEE Sensors J. 13 (2013) 701-708, DOI: 10.1109/JSEN.2012.2225614.
We develop methods for structuring semiconductors in nanowire arrays for components for thermoelectric and piezoelectric or photovoltaic energy conversion as well as anodes of Lithium ion batteries. Furthermore, they shall serve as artefacts for testing and validating of metrology for their characterization, including investigations on self diffusion and defect diffusion (at Univ. of Münster, Prof. Bracht).
With crystalline p-conducting silicon, which is synthesized from glass in a low-temperature aluminothermic process, vertical solar cells on glass are being realized. A highly p-conducting layer is inherently present below the silicon layer for the bottom contact. For the top contact an n-doped area is implemented using low-temperature processing.
M. Sc. Andam Deatama Refino, "Vertical silicon nanowires as an anode for lithium-ion battery", supported by a BPP-LN PhD scholarship of the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia (RISTEKDIKTI, Nr. T/912/D3.2/KD.02.01/2019), ongoing
M. Sc. Frank Eric Boye Anang, "Energy harvester based on semiconductor nanowire arrays", supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), ongoing
Dr. Ing. Dennis Zillmann, „Thermoelektrische Module basierend auf Halb-Heusler-Materialien“, Fakultät für Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik, Physik der TU Braunschweig, 2018
Dr.-Ing. Andrej Stranz, „Untersuchung von einkristallinem Bulk-Silizium und Silizium-Nanosäulen für die thermoelektrische generatorische Energieumwandlung“, Fakultät für Elektrotechnik, Informationstechnik, Physik der TU Braunschweig, 2013
BMBF, 01DP21003, "3D nano-engineered silicon anodes for high-energy-density lithium-ion rechargeable batteries; Fabrication technology for 3D silicon nanoanodes with high aspect ratio - SiNanoBatt" 02/2021 - 04/2024
Journal publications/patents (selection, since 2013):
Andam Deatama Refino, Nursidik Yulianto, Slamet Priyono, Maykel Manawan, Rahmandhika Firdauzha, Hary Hernandha, Egy Adhitama, Jonathan Kottmeier, Andreas Dietzel, Erwin Peiner, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto, "Carbon-coating effect on the performance of photolithographically-structured Si nanowires for lithium-ion microbattery anodes", Communications Materials 6:32 (2025) (12pp); https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-025-00755-w.
Frank Eric Boye Anang, Andam Deatama Refino, Gunilla Harm, Defang Li, Jiushuai Xu, Markys Cain, Uwe Brand, Zhi Li, Marion Görke, Georg Garnweitner, Erwin Peiner, "Thermo-Convective Solution Growth of Vertically Aligned Zinc Oxide Nanowire Arrays for Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting", Micromachines 2024, 15, 1179; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15101179.
Ingrid Schall, Guobin Jia, Uwe Brückner, Annett Gawlik, Christian Strelow, Jan Krügener, Ditian Tan, Michael Fahrbach, Stefan G. Ebbinghaus, Jonathan Plentz, and Erwin Peiner, "Solar Cells on Multicrystalline Silicon Thin Films converted from low-cost Soda-lime Glass", Adv. Mater. Interfaces 2024 2400170 (8pp), https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/admi.202400170.
Jiushuai Xu, Andam Deatama Refino, Alexandra Delvallée, Sebastian Seibert, Christian Schwalb, Poul Erik Hansen, Martin Foldyna, Lauryna Siaudinyte, Gerry Hamdana, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto, Jonathan Kottmeier, Andreas Dietzel, Thomas Weimann, Jan Kristen Prüssing, Hartmut Bracht, Erwin Peiner, "Deep Reactive Ion Etching of Silicon Nanowire Arrays at Cryogenic Temperatures", Appl. Phys. Rev. 11 (2024) 021411 (28pp), https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0166284.
Andam Deatama Refino, Calvin Eldona, Rahmandhika Firdauzha Hary Hernandha, Egy Adhitama, Afriyanti Sumboja, Erwin Peiner, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto, "Advances in 3D silicon-based lithium-ion microbatteries", Communications Materials 5 (2024) (22pp), https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-024-00459-7.
Muhammad Arief Firdaus, Naufal Hanif Hawari, Celfi Gustine Adios, Paramadina Masihi Nasution, Erwin Peiner, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto, Afriyanti Sumboja, "Unlocking High-Current Performance in Silicon Anode: Synergistic Phosphorus Doping and Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Encapsulation to Enhance Lithium Diffusivity", Chem. Asian J. 2024, e202400036-e202400036; https://doi.org/10.1002/asia.202400036.
Frank Eric Boye Anang, Xuanwei Wei, Jiushuai Xu, Markys Cain, Zhi Li, Uwe Brand, Erwin Peiner, "Area-Selective Growth of Zinc Oxide Nanowire Arrays for Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting", Micromachines 2024, 15(2), 261 (20pp); https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15020261.
Ingrid Schall, Stefan G. Ebbinghaus, Christian Strelow, and Erwin Peiner, "Multicrystalline, Highly Oriented Thick-Film Silicon from Reduction of Soda-Lime Glass", Adv. Mater. Interfaces 2023, 2300681 (9pp); https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202300681.
Andam Deatama Refino, Egy Adhitama, Marlena M. Bela, Sumesh Sadhujan, Sherina Harilal, Calvin Eldona, Heiko Bremers, Muhammad Bashouti, Afriyanti Sumboja, Marian C. Stan, Martin Winter, Tobias Placke, Erwin Peiner, and Hutomo Suryo Wasisto, "Impact of exposing lithium metal to monocrystalline vertical silicon nanowires for lithium-ion microbatteries", Communications Materials 4 (2023) 58 (11pp); https://doi.org/10.1038/s43246-023-00385-0.
Lauryna Siaudinyte, R. Koops, P.E. Hansen, J. Xu, E. Peiner, "Hybrid metrology for nanometric energy harvesting devices", Meas Sci. Technol. 34 (2023) 094008 (8pp); DOI 10.1088/1361-6501/acdf08.
Erwin Peiner, Andreas Waag, Gerhard Palm, Ingrid Schall, Heinz Schall, "Verfahren zur Herstellung einer kristallinen Siliziumschicht und siliziumbasiertes Halbleiterbauelement”, DE 10 2016 117 182 A1; WO2018/050565 A1; EP 3 513 425 B1, gewährt unter EP3513425 am 18. November 2022.
Calvin Eldona, Naufal Hanif Hawari, Faiq Haidar Hamid, Wibke Dempwolf, Ferry Iskandar, Erwin Peiner, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto, and Afriyanti Sumboja, "A Free-Standing Polyaniline/Silicon Nanowire Forest as the Anode for Lithium-ion Batteries", Chem. Asian J. 2022, e202200946 (8pp); https://doi.org/10.1002/asia.202200946.
Pierre Yosia Edward Koraag, Arief Muhammad Firdaus, Naufal Hanif Hawari, Andam Deatama Refino, Wibke Dempwolf, Ferry Iskandar, Erwin Peiner, Hutomo Suryo Wasisto, Afriyanti Sumboja, "Covalently Bonded Ball-Milled Silicon/CNT Nanocomposite as Lithium-Ion Battery Anode Material", Batteries 8 (2022) 165 (13pp); https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries8100165.
Jan K. Prüßing, Tim Böckendorf, Felix Kipke, Jiushuai Xu, Prabowo Puranto, John Lundsgaard Hansen, Dominique Bougeard, Erwin Peiner, and Hartmut Bracht, "Retarded Boron and Phosphorus Diffusion in Silicon Nano Pillars due to Stress Induced Vacancy Injection", J. Appl. Phys. 131 075702 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0078006.
Jan K. Prüßing, Tim Böckendorf, Gerry Hamdana, Erwin Peiner, Hartmut Bracht, "Defect distribution in boron doped silicon nanostructures characterized by means of scanning spreading resistance microscopy" J. Appl. Phys. 127 (2020) 055703; doi: 10.1063/1.5134558.
G. Hamdana, P. Puranto, J. Langfahl-Klabes, Z. Li, F. Pohlenz, Min Xu, T. Granz, M. Bertke, H. S. Wasisto, U. Brand, E. Peiner, “Determination of nanomechanical properties of crystalline silicon pillars by nanoindentation”, Sens. Actuat. A Phys. 283 (2018) 65–78; doi.org/10.1016/j.sna.2018.09.035.
T. Südkamp, G. Hamdana, M. Descoins, D. Mangelinck, H. S. Wasisto, E. Peiner, H. Bracht, “Self-diffusion in single crystalline silicon nanowires”, J. Appl. Phys. 123 (2018) 161515; doi: dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4996987.
G. Hamdana, L. Caccamo, M. Bertke, T. Südkamp, H. Bracht, H. S. Wasisto, E. Peiner, "Enhanced colloidal lithography for fabrication of well-defined-area silicon nanowires", Microelectronic Engineering 179 (2017) 74-82; dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mee.2017.04.030.
D. Zillmann, D. Metz, B. Matheis, A. Dietzel, A. Waag, E. Peiner, "Thermoelectric generators fabricated from large-scale produced Zr-/Hf-based half-Heusler compounds using Ag sinter bonding" J. Electron. Mater. 48 (2019) 5363-5374; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-019-07366-5.
D. Zillmann, A. Waag, E. Peiner, M.-H. Feyand, A. Wolyniec, "Thermoelectric and structural properties of large-scale produced Zr-/Hf-based half-Heusler compounds" J. Electron. Mater. 47 (2018), 1546-1554; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-017-5917-7.
W. Wu, A. Bentaleb, A. Waag, E. Peiner, "Fabrication and characterization of single-pair thermoelectric generators of bismuth telluride using silver-sintering technology" Materials Today: Proceedings 5 (2018) 10401–10407; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2017.12.288.
A. Stranz, A. Waag, E. Peiner, "Investigation of thermoelectric parameters of Bi2Te3 - TEGs assembled using pressure-assisted silver powder sintering-based joining technology" J. Electron. Mater. 44 (2015) 2055-2060; DOI: 10.1007/s11664-015-3655-2.
A. Stranz, A. Waag, E. Peiner, "High-temperature performance of stacked silicon nanowires for thermoelectric power generation" J. Electron. Mater. 42 (2013) 2233-2238, DOI: 10.1007/s11664-013-2590-3.
