Analysis and Verification of the Relationship between the Maximum Mass Sensitivity of Quartz Crystal Microbalance and Electrode Parameters

We analyze the effect of electrode diameter and thickness on the mass sensitivity. Through the theoretical approximate calculation, we find that the mass sensitivity does not change monotonically with electrode diameter and there is a maximum point. The optimum electrode diameter corresponding to the maximum mass sensitivity varies with the electrode thickness. For a particular electrode diameter, a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) with thick electrode has a higher mass sensitivity. A proper plating experiment using 35 QCMs with different electrode diameters and thicknesses verifies this finding. The present study further reveals how electrode size affects mass sensitivity and is helpful for QCM design.