SYSTEM FOR WEIGHING INDIVIDUAL MICRO- AND NANO- SIZED PARTICLES

A device for weighing micro- and nano-sized particles. The device includes a base portion, an oscillator coupled to the base portion configured to vibrate the base portion, a first cantilevered beam coupled to the base portion at a proximal end and having a tip portion at a distal end, and a second cantilevered beam coupled to the base portion at a proximal end and having a tip portion at a distal end, each of the first and second cantilever beams further having a first plurality of fingers near the first tip portion inwardly pointing and a second plurality of fingers near the second tip portion inwardly pointing, respectively, such that the entirety of each cantilever beam is positioned in a side-by-side manner next to the entirety of the other forming substantially mirror images of one another, the first plurality of fingers interdigitating with the second plurality of fingers such that the first cantilevered beam and the second cantilevered beam can oscillate independent of each other, the interdigitating fingers separated by gaps that are configured to reflect light from the interdigitating fingers during oscillation of the first and second cantilevered beams to form a diffraction pattern.